NINETY PER CENT OF PEOPLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 April 1922, Page 5

NINETY PER CENT OF PEOPLE.

IN FAVOR OF FREE STATE. NEW ZEALAND ENVOY’S VIEWS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Ninety per cent of the people in Ireland are in favor of the Irish Free State as outlined in the treaty, is the conviction of Mr. Hall Skelton, who returned by the Niagara after a visit to Europe as one of the New Zealand dele, gates to the pan-Irish congress in Paris. Mr. Skelton says de Valera has nothing •of a following to speak of, and does not represent Irish sentiment concerning the new state of things, which has been created at home. The great body of Irish opinion is quite opposed to the idea of a republic.

Mr. Skelton was under the necessity of making it very plain to de Valera that the Irish in the colonies were not to be dragged into anything that would disintegrate the Empire, even in the north of Ireland. Mr. Skelton found the idea of a united Ireland very firm, and he was strongly of opinion that when extremists of both sides had passed out of the picture, Ireland would settle down into a prosperous and united free State, and this, he believed, would result in twelve months.

Mr. Skelton challenged de Valera to put the matter to the vote of the Irish people, but de Valera knew too well what would be the result of such a plebiscite. Asked what would be the fate of de Valera, Mr. Skelton said the policy of the people who represented true Irish feeling was to let him have as much rope as he wanted, and when American money was done he would cease to be a factor in the controversy. BELFAST QUIETER, London, April 6. Despite the death of two boys, a Catholic and a Protestant, the situation in Belfast is stated to be improving.