No Intention of Threatening Eire’s Security

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

No Intention of Threatening Eire’s Security

Received Sunday, 7.30 p.m. WASHINGTON, March 12. The State Department disclosed that President Roosevelt sent a message of friendly warning to Mr. de Valera two years ago that the Irish Government should take steps so as not to stand alone when the time comes for a peacetime. conference. President Roosevelt’s primary purpose was to assure Mr. de Valera that American troops in the British Isles did not constitute a threat to Ireland but rather a protection, adding: “There was not and is not now the slightest intention of invading Irish territory or threatening her security.’’ The State Department also released the text of Mr. Hull’s Note of January 6 last in which he informed Mr. de Valera that an Irish ship purchase in America had not been approved. The Note recalled that despite the world shipping shortage the American Government made available to the Irish Government two merchant ships, both of which in the circumstances must be assumed sunk by Axis submarines. The Irish Government sailed those ships with distinct neutral markings and they did not carry war supplies. Therefore, the sinking was a wanton and inexcusable act. So far the Irish Government had taken no steps against the Axis Government and had not protested. These repeated attacks on Irish ships appeared conclusive proof that the Axis Powers were in fact making war upon Ireland and at the same time using Ireland’s friendship to the detriment of the United Nations’ war effort. In view of this he regretted that the State Department could not comply with Ireland’s request for approval of the sale. The United Press says: “The State Department’s publication of the Notes has made it clear to us that it is not now committed to abstain from using military force to stamp out espionage operating under Irish protection.” The New York Times in an editorial scorning Mr. de Valera’s “neutrality” says: “We know he knows what would happen if Germany had stood where Britain stands. Eire’s neutrality would then have been worth no more than Denmark’s, Norway’s, Holland’s or Belgium’s was worth and Dublin would have shared Rotterdam’s fate. Mr. de Valera now cites evidence of his counter-activity against Axis agents, but the American Government maintains that despite Mr. de Valera’s vigilance Axis agents succeed in sending information from Eire to Berlin. “Such information on the eve of the invasion may endanger the lives of many thousands of Allied soldiers, including many of Irish descent, who are now fighting for liberty as did their lathers. We may hope the Irish question will some day no longer vex the Empire and that the people of the Green Little Island will be peaceably united under a single Government. But that day will be brought no nearer if Mr. de Valera’s coldly correct neutrality results in needless slaughter on the European coasts.” The New York Times’ Ottawa correspondent says considerable division and irritation of opinion are expected in Canada from the publication of the British-American Note to Eire. Many strongly approve of it but another large section supports Mr. de Valera’s attitude on the principle that every member of the Empire is entitled to decide freely and without pressure what course it shall take. Indeed, the respect which Britain has shown throughout the war for the liberty of decision of every member of the Empire is one of the main reasons lor Canada’s enthusiastic support of the Allied cause. Moreover, it is claimed that Canadian experience has confirmed that Mr. de Valera’s attitude to the Allies has been friendly and helpful. For example, be recently disclosed that only 14 of more than 100 Canadian airmen who at one time or another were forced down in Ireland had been interned. All the others were immediately released on the technical ground that they were not engaged in an operational flight. The Canadian Government, it is reported, was not consulted before the delivery of the Note and advised against its publication on the ground that its terms might cause misgivings among members of the Empire. The British Government’s support of the recent United States Note to Eire was made perfectly clear in the Note sent to Eire by the British Government. This said: “The United States Government recently consulted his Majesty's Government on the proposal to address to the Eire Government a request for the removal of Axis diplomatic corps representatives in Eire. It was with the full concurrence of the British Government that the United States Government made this approach. His Majesty’s Government desires to make it clear to the Eire Government that it warmly welcomes the initiative taken by the United States Government and fully supports the request for the removal from Eire of German and Japanese diplomatic consular representatives. His Majesty’s Government wishes to emphasise the importance it attaches to this request.” In reply Mr. de Valera acknowledged the receipt of the Note and enclosed a copy of the reply handed to the United States Department of State by the Irish Minister in Washington.

BRITAIN FIRMLY SUPPORTS AMERICA \ An y lingering notion that Britain takes a less serious view than the , United States of the maintenance in ' Dublin of enemy “diplomatic” missions has been completely removed by 1 the British press. In London it has ; long been notorious Dublin is a , valuable listening post where Britain's ; mortal enemies can spy in the very midst of the British Isles. That such ; a thing was tolerated even in the hoar of Britain’s mortal danger is sufficient preof of the reality of the independence enjoyed by members of the British Commonwealth. Moreover, there was a time when the Southern Eire Government might reasonably have feared German reprisals. Thanks to the British airpower that time is over. Such considerations wore probably never seriously expected to influence Mr. de Valera. The present rulers of Southern Ireland long ago made up their minds not to take off their historic blinkers even with total war raging round their country’s shores, it is, of course, perfectly true, as the Daily Mail points out, that however much the British Commonwealth regrets Eire’s neutrality it does not determine her own affairs. British regret, too, is mollified by the remembrance that a great company of Southern Irishmen are in all branches of the services in high or humble places fighting to aid the common cause. None of that, however, alters the the fact that the presence of enemy agents endowed with diplomatic immunity in a place so situated as Dublin is a grave danger to the gigantic

operations which are evidently impending in the British theatre of war. The United Nations can afford to neglect nothing which would contribute to the success of those operations.