IRISH LETTERS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1932, Page 5

IRISH LETTERS

STRANGE SITUATION

PUBLICATION SANCTIONED.

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY,, July 11

A some’.! hat curious summon e.usted in regain to cor, espondeiue oeu\een iiie Goiernor-Cie.icrai or tiie Irish live State, Mr Jameo McNeil;, and President do Vakrft, which tire lorn,or issued lor publication. iiie G overnc. -General requested ah apj.ogy for hat he alleged Vo have ueu deliberate discourtesy to which i:e had bean subjected by two members of the de Valera Government, who withdrew when lie (Mr McNeill) arrived from a social function given by tnu French Minister at Dublin.

Mr cle Valeia replied with a letter marked “peivonal” and which, thereto, e the Governor-General did not issue with the other correspondence. In his further communications, which were not so marke4,Mr de Valera stated that lie legarded the whole affair as being ‘‘unfortunate anu regrettable,” but said that he was “unable to go any further.” An objeetiofl to ‘che publication of the letters,, a,.3 being confidential State documents, was raised, by Air cle Valqra, who proceeded: “I hereby convey to Your Excellency the formal advice and dictation of the Executive Council not ti? publish the letters in question.”

Mr McNeill persisted, demanding an apology “as ail alternative to my removal from my office,” and then the full correspondence, with the exception of the letter marked “personal” was made public,’ and it ha.s to-day received wide publications everywhere in ’che British Isles except in the Irish Free State." There Air de Valera’s Executive Council have forbidden the press to publish the letters ana the copies of English and North Irish papers containing them were not permitted to enter the Irish Free State.

This evening, however, the correspondence was issued at Dublin, with the statement that, as the letters have appeared in foreign papers, 'the Executive Council have decided to authorise their publication in the liish Free State.

' AIR AIcNEILL NOT RETIRING

LONDON, July 12,

Tliß fact that President de Valera was forced to withdraw the ban on the publication of the correspondence is regarded in Dublin as . a distinct victory- for the Governor-General.

Despite the fact that there are rumours to the contrary, there is no expectation that Air AlcNeill will resign. He is personally extremely popular.