Evening star., 1932-05-15
Irish Oath Question May
Trouble Ottawa Meeting
BY A. G. GARp1NER.

LONDON, May l4.-The prospects Of
the imperial conference to be held at
Ottawa In June we're not improved this
week by the action of the British gov
sernment in regard to the contemplated
abolition Of the cath to the King by
the De Valera government In Ireland.
Already the outlook for the conference
was sufficiently perplexing.
II Is becoming realized that the i'm
minence Of the meeting limits the free
dom of action Of the British govern
ment In the critical international debt
negotiations at Lausanne next month.
So far there Is no evidence that the
| government has yet formulated any
policy for presentation at Ottawa, but
all industries are preparing to swo0p
down on the conference with demands
for imperial preference, and the COLI
sion. Of rival interests promises bitter
warfare.
This Is particularly illustrated by the
frantic protests of the chief rival Of
the Chicago packers, the great Wesley
meat trust, which dominates the British
market with Argentine meat and which
fears 1t will find its domination threat
ened by the exclusion Of its commodi-
ties from the operation Of the proposed
brought upon the government to In
clude the. Argentine In the imperial
ring, in view Of the magnitude Of the
mutual trade between the two countries,
but this, Of course, will encounter the
bitterest opposition from Australia and
New Zealand, which stand to gain most
from the exclusion Of their most power
fui competitor.
Ottawa, in fact. threatens to become
a h9ffl00FnTEnA Hax "a
British meat market, and the meat mo-
nopolists, who until recently were the
foremost advocates of protection, now
are appealing to the public against
threatened taxation of the peoples food,
This exemplifies the fioodgates of con-
melting interests which the adoption of
protection has opened. -.-.,
u X + n
But the announcement by J. II.
Thomas, secretary Of state for the do
minions. IN the House of Commons, that
II the Irish government abolishes the
oath In nat disregard to the treaty Ire
iano may be ostracized at Ottawa, castn
shadow Of different sort over thl
conference. The wisdom of that ans
nouncement IS gravely doubted in rs
sponsiole circles. All opinion here
agreed in resenting the unilateral RI
pudiation Of the vital clause of "a
treaty and in the view that Ireland cara
not De both inside and outside tie
British commonwealth. The feeling Is
aggravated by the fact that President
Eamonn de Valera has declined to con-
suit the other signatories to the treaty.
in the matter.
But cautious opinion regards Thomas
warning as premature, il-advised and
calculated to play into De Valeras
hands, The wiser course, it is said. is
to await decision Of the Irish Senate.
whose acceptance Of the proposed aboli-
tion Is uncertain, especially in view of
the unpopularity Of the drastic taxation
imposed by the budget which De Valera
introduced this week. This hits all
classes severely. In addition, De Valera
Is in difficulty with the farmers. who
believed that refusal to pay land an
nuities to Britain released them from
liability. Discovery that the Irish gov
ernment proposes to collect and ap-
propriate the annuities has caused BIT
ter discontent, and De Valera Is faced
With the task of enforcement and con-
sequent unpopularity. a-s.
In these circumstances the British
government would be better advised TO
let the situation develop IN Ireland.
where opinion Is sharply divided. In
anticipating the Irish Senates action.
the British cabinet raised the issue Of
tariffs as an instrument In the political
differences between Britain and the
dominions, and the question Is asked
whether. II this precedent Is adouted
1t VIII be conducive TO the unity Of the
commonwealth.
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