The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-10-14

:
(Ccpyright.. 1924. by International
News sefvice.l =
DUBLIN. Oct. 14-Eamon de
Valera, head of the Irish Republic
when it was overthrow in civil
warfare in 1922. Reign Of terror
IN ireland, Sim Fem. The ter
rible visitation Of the, British
Black and Tans. Burning Of the
-Four Courts, with the Republican
Rory O'Connor sending out des-
perate communicates to the popu-
lace. Long shadows Of gunner
down streets, the pavements Of
which one might tread at ones
peril all these things flash into
mind at the name Of canon de
Valera.
Frank, But Kindly
But. ushered into his presence in
Dublin, + found myself confronting
= very gentle, sincerely direct and
apparently simple-hearted man. ! A
imam Of around forty, perhaps. with
"a kindly smile: his face. after two
along years Of imprisonment, 10
heavily lined, but the brown bOyigh
Gheck OF hair Is untouched by grey.
De Valera, released from Arbo1'
Hill prison last July, has resumed
1.-The task interrupted by his arrest.
And his task? re In to restore I'm
ireland the Republic crushed after
a few stormy months of existence
prior to the treaty Of 1891, when
the Free State came to being.
cannon de Valera was the Presa-
dent of that Republic, and, by his
fellow Republicans, is still called
President.
He is waiting. The Republicans
are waiting. The Free State, they
believe, ID on It's last legs. Another
general election, and the Repub-
licans expect to reap q majority
OF representatives at the polls.
Answers Questions.
began at once asking him
questions, as we sat in the Repub-
lican headquarters, Suffolk street.
One OF the most important had
seemed to me to be: What was the
Attituda OF the Republicans toward
the Constitutional Republican
Party launched last spring by Free
State Deputy Joseph ,McdFath?
Much interest attaches to that
opposition movement in the DAN.
quickened by a rumor that Presi-
dent Cosgrave is about to invite
McGrath back into the Cabinet and
possibly shape the policy Of his
government more in the direction
of Republicanism. What did Mr..
de Valera think. Of McGrath's
Near Republican" Party?
The reply was terse, leaving
ground for no uncertainty: There
really is no such party"
This naturally led to another lead.
ing question. In what manned did
the out-and-out Republicans propose
20 carry on their campaign? "Ie, =
I asked, enough Republican depu-
ties were eventually elected to con-
stitute majority in Dali Nireanla,
what practical steps would then be
taken? Would the oath Of allcRi.
ance to King George be accepted As
a means whereby, legislatiyely, the
present Free State constitution
might be set aside ana a new one
based, perhaps, on Document No.
g. be established in its place! Or
;, would it first be necessary to de.
clare the Free State abolished, and
would Legislation thereafter proceed
directly through the Republican
Dail2"
Calls Treaty Illegal.
To this query Mr.. de Valera 70.
piled:
''From our view the treaty and
all that has flowed from it. Ii
illegal. The Republic is-continu-
ing to be from the day It was In
augurated--the sole legitimate!y es-
tablished state In Ireland. We deny
the right Of foreign-derived author
ity In this country. A majority
once more, we would ignore all such
authority and resist every effort at
Interference by foreigners. For US,
as have said, the Free State does
not exist as q legal entity"
Then you would not take the
oath Of allegiance to the King; and,
by the same token, your, seats in
the present Dail?"
Certainly not. On smoral and re.
hgious grounds we would not take
an oath which we did not mean TO
keep. Besides, taking an oath OF
ALLEGIANCE to a foreign king would
be an act Of national humiliation.
, AS the forty-four Republican depu.
r ties today refuse to take this oath.
or participate in any way in the &C.
tivities Of the Free State Dali, 90
would a Republican majority also
refuse.
1--WE do not recognize, and Will
have nothing whatever to do with,
this usurpatiOn which the Free
State and its government Organs
represent"
Economic Policy.
A new point was preached. "Your
Free State opponents, Mr.. de
Valera, are continually saying the
Republicans have no economic
policy. Can you tell me exactly
what your policy is, and how you
propose that the national existence
OF Ireland, under q republic, shall
be ordered?"
The response was this:
The final determination OF eco.
non1ic policy would, Of course. lie
with the elected Representatives OF
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