FAMOUS DE VALERA

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 173, 15 March 1932, Page 2

FAMOUS DE VALERA

HIS P3ERSQNALITY " * MAN Of KEEN INTELLECT AND BOUNDLESS ENERGY FREE BTATE POSITION LONDON, Saturday. That Mr. de Yalera, leader of the Fi.anna Fail party, wbo stands for the abrogation of the Treaty with Great Britain, will be called upon to form the next Government of the Free State, seems now tp be certain. He has not, it is true, an absolute majority, bnt it is almost certain that he could commahd -sufficient voites in the new Dail .to, justify him in aecepting the invitation. Treaty Must Stand British newspapers view the outcome of the . "election with some alarm, and fear is expressed that Mr. de Valera may attpmpt to ahrogate the treaty with Great Britain, proclaim a Republic, and secede from the British Commonwealth of Nations. The "Daily Mail," for instanee, declares that, while the one desire of Britons, is that the Free State should prosper^they will not allow the treaty to be tampered with in any circumstances. The "News-Chronicle'.' declares that if Mr. de Valera becomes P^esident of the Executive- and attempts to carry out the more extreme portion of his pledges, he will not long remain in office. De Valera, one of the most interesting mep in the world, who has had more excitement crammed into his 50 . years than a thousand ordinary men, is now said, even by opponents, to be a certainty for the Irish Free State Presidency. He stands for alterations to the Treaty of 1921, espeeially to that part dealing with the payment of land annuities to Great Britain; £20,000,000 is at stake, and the Fianna Fail want to keep the money in Ireland. Another plank in the de Valera platform applies to the oath of allegiance taken by Irish Free State Ministers. This has been a sore point with Republicans for some years. The oath to which they object runs : — "I do solemnly swear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the Irish Free State as by law established, and that I will be faithful to his Majesty King George V., his heirs and successors hy law, in virtue of the common citizenship of Ireland with Great Britain and her adherence to, and membership of, the group of nations forming the British Commonwealth of Nations." Dominions Oath If the Fianna Fail is returned it will probably be altered to that taken by Australia and the Dominions, namely: — "I , . . . do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty King George V., his heirs, successors, according to law." De Valera was born in New York in 1882. His father was Snenish and mother Irish. He has always lir.d.tremendous power and energy, and an extraordinary capacity for work . Many people are inclined to regard him as a mere rouble-maker, but he possesses a brilliant mind. Chancellor of the National University of Ireland since 1921, he has the degrees of B.A., B.Sc., LL.D., and Ph.D. In 1916 he led the rehellion against Great Britain. He was captured and sentenced to death for fcreason. The sentenee was commuted to penal servitude for life. Dollar Support He was released, however, in 1917, but as he continued to stir up sedition was again arrested. This time he escaped from prison, and managed to reach America, where he raised six million dollars to finance the Irish Republican Government.

Every effort was made to prevent him returning to Ireland, but he came back disguised as a woman, and continued to lead the Sinn Fein riots until 1921, when the Treaty was signed with Great Britain. De Valera was president of the first Irish Free State Republic, and has learnt the advisability, for economic reasons, of being diplomatic wj i-Kh THn crl n n rl .