MR. ATTLEE PUZZLED

Chronicle (Levin), 12 May 1949, Page 5

MR. ATTLEE PUZZLED

('N.Z.P.A.-

—Reuter.

Eire's Opposition To Claoses Iii Ireland Bill

COpyri&M)

Received Thursday, ii.45 a.m. LOnDGN, May 11. Moving the sCbohd feading bf thfe Ireland Bill ih the House oi Commons today, the Pfime Minister, Mr. Attlee. said that he • did not understand why there. had been heated opposition to the Biil in the Daii yesterday. Mr. Attlee said that. the statement he had made bh thb Bill las't Octob'er had been feceived ■ With-oUt proteSu. "The fitOvisions of the Bill dealing with NOrtbfe'rn Ireland are in line with that statement. I cannot- understand why the c ause has now caused opposition and heated protests. . We have to regu:arise the position." "I took the opportunity~ of the presence of renresentatiVes of Canada, Austra'.ia and N&w Zealand tc discuss it with them, and with rep 'esentatives of ihe Eirb Government," continued Mr. Attlee. "Ii was reciprbcally agreed that the oeople of Eire and ihe people oi Britain should,, not'. be .foreign tc •ne another. I go further. That same action may be taken by othei* Commonwealth coUniries. I do not oelieve that the solutioh we have lound is ^gical— very few thingf in the relationship between these isiands has been logical— but I ber lieve that they are practical and tc our mu'tual benefit." Position Made Clear. Mr. Attlee said rhat the tife "Republic of Ireland" did not ex•:end to the who'e of Ifeland and this was made clear in the Bill. He had received reports from the Government of Eire and had n6teb ""he speeches made in the Dail yes--,erday, he continued. "These proests are based on a misapprehension. It seems to have been suggested that this view is a new dedaration by my Government. Iu fact the initialive did not cOme ?rom this side. It came from the T.re Gdvernment when it decidec to leave the Commonwealth. Tha action made it inevitable that the declaration about the position oi part of Ireland continuing to remain in the Commonwealth shou d oemade." Mr. Attlee said that Eire Ministers, in their soeeches, had proilaimed the unity of Ireland. "That may be something of spiritua; ani.y, but we have to deal with the facts as thev are. Northern Irelanc vi:l not cease to be part of the Commonwealth without the con sent of the Parliament of Northerr Ireland. We recognise the authority of the Parliament of Eire to leave the communfiy and we recognise the right of the Parliament oi Northern Ireland to stay inor leave .he Commonwealth."