IRISH AFFAIRS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1932, Page 5

IRISH AFFAIRS

OPPOSITION VIEWS t>Te tribunal question (United, Press Association—By; ElectricTelegraph—Copyright.)’ .-■"i-; LONDON, July 7. The Opposition Leader, Mr Geo. Lansbury, moved an amendment to reject the Government’s Special (free State) Duties Bib. The amendment described . thSi;*.Bill as, “the-i-p-recipitate adoption economic reprisal's against/ 1 , the Irish,,Ere© State.” ■ !■.;’) , ' . Mr- Lansbury. said “If wasfteaaentirjV. for. Mr Thomas to remembfr) thkt it was because there was- a disagreemb regarding the setting up .of. a Tribunal -at th 0 : Imperial Conference that the Statute, of Westminster was passed without any Tribunal. ( This matter hai3 been discussed as if the Free State iStat e was doing something which put them outside, the- pale of ordinary civilised states. This dispute was an honest dispute, and it -was not a .question of money., ..,; s Mr .Thomas’s Bill was a piece of / penal, legislation, which only would engendefo -hatred ,-andV bitterness.'

Mr Maxtorl’ isaid that Mr de Valera and the’lrish people were perfectly en- - titled ,to take the steps that they, s were taking, from the first to the last. j —i—•, . MR THOMAS SCORES, ; : LONDON, July 7. In the 'House of Commons, Mr J;"H. Thomas referred to the Opposition Leader, IMr,. G;. - Lanebury’s motion -d. to reject the special Irish Duties Bill on the ground that th e Irish State,is paying -the disputed moneys into the- Suspense Account pending arbitration. Mr Thomas said-'he would remind the Opposition that the Fre e State. Land Act j of 1923 made payment into suspense account obligatory. 7 •' ? At this there were cheers and laughter..- , , ' ' • ANOTHER VIEW. . . LONDON, July 7. In th e House of Commons, Colonel Moore-Brabazon (Conservative), who | stated he was speaking as--. “half an (Irishman,” said that Mr .de Valera' hald no sense of- honour Mr de Valera •he said, had set a cunning trap into Which Rt. Hon.,’Mr Thomas had fal'en, and, as the Tesult, he had ; stirred up all of the the oi'd .animosity., ' Colonel Mopre-Brabazon -ridded: “If Ireland .swings' to a republic at its next election,'” Mr Thomaa will have been responsible, more- than any other .man,” , m • , , ..."

At this there were cries of “No!’' — ; vm/ . IRISH DELEGATION-: FOE-OTTAWA. DUBLIN, July 7. It is officially .announced that; the Ottawa delegation of .rtlie Irish.. Free State will dumber twenty-five, r.gjtwiH be headed by Mr O’Keily, Mr Lemass, Jmi and Mr Ryan, and also by th e Labour Senator, Senator Johnston, \Vho is going as an .adviser, PRECAUTIONS TAKEN, AGAINST SMUGGLING OF ARMS. DUBLIN. July 7. , Replying to a question by Mr M'ciGiilligan faf the Opposition) in > the , Dail Eireanh, Mr de Valera denied tha/t' he had received any information ' that any arms had been landed on the coast, or had been transferred across the Irish land .frontier. Mr de Valera. admitted -that he had received representations from' another Government, and that lie had taken all’ necessary precautions, in', the matter. Speaking at Cork, Mr de Valera said: “W e are facing difficult times. No one can tell what a few - years’ changes s-wilf' bring. The one \ prophecy that can be made >s that the. structure of society cannot much longer withstand tb e strain to which it is being subjected now. If those on whom rests the duty: of leadership in politics and business do not realise the necessity and find the means of reconstrlicing the social order in accordance with Christian principles, I fear , their© lies before thb world calamities of which most people,, have yet no conception.. In Ireland, at least, we have the solution of our difficulties, both .social and economic, 'in our own'hands’if we have the will to appiy . it. The task will not ;be an .easy one, .and in -the initial stages it will mill for . .sacrifices j from all section of the .people.”