TWO BIG QUESTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1932, Page 6

TWO BIG QUESTIONS

IRELAND AND OTTAWA • BEFORE HOUSE OF COMMONS. (United Press Association —By Electiic Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received this -ay at 2 p.m.D LONDON, October 18. Parliament re-assembled to-day, Ireland and Ottawa being the tw o subjects occupying the attention of the House. The Dominions' Secretary (Mr J. H. Thomas), outlined the course of the abortive Anglo-Irish negotiations. Irish delegates presented their case from historical, technical and legal views, and they denied the validity of the agreeme; t from which payments are claimed by Britain to be due. Ib- v asserted that no ultimate financial settlement between countries was ever made, and claimed that, on thh basis, a new settlement should now be made for all financial matters between t.ie two Governments. They put forward a claim, not only in respect of .pre-treaty matters, such as the alleged over-taxation of Ireland since the Act of Union, 1801, to the extent of some hundreds of millions of pounds, but also in respect of matters arising since and during the discussions. Mr de Valera insisted that the only real solution to the difficulties was a united Irish Republic, with some.sort of connection with the British Commonwealth. The British delegates lV ere unable to find any now point brouoht forward affecting the. validity of tiie 1923 and 1926 agreements. Mr Thomas added that it was clear from the discussions that the Irish Free State representatives had no intention of admitting either the validity or justice of previous agreements. The Chancellor, Mr Chamberlain, prefaced bis statement of the Ottawa agreements by declaring that if the success of the Ottawa conference resulted in inerebsed prosperity, to the united British Empire, Unit was the largest contribution which the Empire could make towards restoration of prosperity to the world.