STILL NEUTRAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 October 1940, Page 5

STILL NEUTRAL

CONDITIONS IN EIRE STEADY STREAM OF RECRUITS FOR BRITISH FORCES. BUT NAZI AND ITALIAN LEGATIONS REMAIN. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, October 20. A special correspondent of the “Dailj' Telegraph,” on his return after a week’s staj r in Eire, writes: “Though Mr de Valera is resolutely determined to maintain Eire's neutrality, there is a constant stream of young and middle-aged men as recruits in his Majesty’s forces but, despite this loyalty, there are still German and Italian legations in Eire. “Dublin has no black-out, and its lights send out thousands of beacons for U-boats, which are intensely active off 1300 miles of coast. Occasionally unidentified planes, believed to be German, fly over Dublin and do not meet with gunfire. “Official figures show that there are 373 German subjects in Eire, compared with 23.000 Britons. Eireanns seem infinitely remote from the war, obstinately and innocently dreaming of neutrality. There is no rationing. Butter, eggs and all kinds of food are available in superfluity. “Dublin society, after the indiscriminate bombing of Britain, has tended to give the cold shoulder to the German Minister, Herr Hempel, who has retired from public life. The activities of the German Press Attache, Herr Carl Petersen, have periodically drawn the attention of the authorities. He allegly supplied the I.R.A. with money for bomb outrages in England. There is a wireless aerial on the legation roof. I “Eire’s defence preparations include I the formation of a local security force, which is most inadequately equipped. One section of 800 has only 150 weapons.”