IRISH PROBLEM.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 344, 27 January 1937, Page 5

IRISH PROBLEM.

Difficult To Overcome Racial Differences. Press Association—Copyright. Wellington, To-day. Northern Ireland will resist to the utmost any attempt to bring the.territory under the jurisdiction ot Irish Free State, according to Awo citizens ot Northern Ireland, Messrs. Robert Dunlop, of Belfast, and Hamilton Todd, of Coleraine, near Belfast, who arc at present in New Zealand. iff “While there is life in our bones I dont’ think we will permit that if we can help it,’ Mr. Duulop declared. Business conditions in Northern Ireland were fairly good, but a trading difficulty had been created by tho barrier with the country itself, which stopped all trade between Northern Ireland and the Free State. An effort had been made by the Free authorities to squeeze Northern Ireland out in the hope that the pressure would force ft to join the Free State, but the northern pkrt of the country was able to trade with countries outside, chiefly England. There was a big racial difficulty In Ireland, Mr Dunlop added, and the differences were -very pronounced. There was a big Scots element in Northern Ireland, where both on religious and political grounds the people had an outlook completely different that of the Free State Citizens. Such a situation was to be regretted, hut he did not see how it could continue permanently.