De VALERA REJECTS ALLIED DEMANDS

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 59, 13 March 1944, Page 5

De VALERA REJECTS ALLIED DEMANDS

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, March 10. The Secretary of State (Mr. Cordell Hull) announced in Washington that Eire had rejected the United States request for the removal of the Axis consular and diplomatic representatives from Eire, because they were endangering “the success of military operations in preparation and the lives of thousands of United Nations soldiers.” The United Press’s correspondent in Washington says: The United Nations will refuse to let the matter drop, and are pressing vigorously for arrangements safeguarding military secrets from the enemy. The London Daily Telegraph reports that all leave has been stopped in the Eire army and other military precautions have been taken. Permission was withdrawn last week for American servicemen in Northern Ireland to visit Eire. They have so far been able to cross the border wearing civilian clothing. The Daily Express’s diplomatic correspondent sa>s: Mr. de Valera did not attempt to hide his bitterness during the negotiations. He argued about military threats and economic pressure and described himself as a Christian fatalist —a man can die only once. He insisted that when the United States Note was received on February 25 that it was an ultimatum which would drive a horse and cart through his neutrality. Assurances were brushed aside and his reaction was swift, based on his 4 4 ultimatum ’ ’ assumption. Eire ’ s army was immediately placed on the alert and mined bridges and guarded air fields and strategic points of local defence. The units were mobilised and issued with small arms. Mr. de Valera scouted the espionage allegations and referred to the strict censorship in England and Eire. He offered his personal guarantee as Minister of External Affairs that no second front secrets would leak out of Eire. He promised every precaution and offered that he should be responsible f anything wont wrong. He pointed out that he had already interned 400 citizens in Eire to prevent them from helping the Axis. The Times diplomatic correspondent says: When she asked Eire to close the enemy missions America acted with Britain’s full support and approval. Enemy officials in Dublin and their agents would not be doing their job aright, as they see it, if they did not use their offices as channels for passing on every sort of information useful to Berlin and Tokio. They have a unique listening post on the threshold of Britain. The Axis representatives are by no means popular with the Irish generally. Nevertheless, the risks remain, especially as some activities are screened by diplomatic immunity. The request was not made earlier in the war when the Irish might reasonably have feared German reprisals. The Germans now can do little but bluster.