Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-23
London Makes Standpoint
Clear in Communication,
Thomas Tells Commons.
LAND ANNUITIES ROW
NOT BROUGHT TO HEAD
King George Confers With Secre-
tary as Cabinet Draws Plans
to Meet De Valera Action.
BY the Associated Press.

BY me Associated Press.
LONDON, March 23.-Great Britain
Is determined that Ireland shall neither
abolish the oath of allegiance to the
British crown nor discontinue payment
Of the Irish land annuities, ]. H.
Thomas, secretary for dominions, told
the House Of Commons today.
To that end the government has sent
communication to the Free State gov
eminent which will make the British
standpoint clear beyond the possibility
Of doubt" he said.
canon De Valera, new Free State
president, informed London officially
yesterday that he intends to abolish the
oath, and although there has been no
official communication regarding the
land annuities, his public statements
during and since the recent Irish cleo
ton made it clear he intends to discon-
tinue their payment to England.
Holds Pact Binding.
The British government, Mr.. Thomas
said, considers that the Free State is
bound by the most formal and explicit
understanding to continue paying these
annuities to the national debt commits
Sioners.
Failure to pay, he asserted. will be
manifest violation of an agreement
which IS binding in law and in honor
on the Irish Free State, whatever ad-
ministration may be in power, in ex-
actly the same way as the treaty itself
Is binding on both countries"
Text Not Given Out.
Mr.. Thomas did not give the text of
the British reply to Dublin, but he as
sured some opposition queStionerS it
would be made public in due time
This is no time for panic, he told the
House, but the matter is serious and
the best way to deal with it is not by
debate in the Commons"
Pressed for details he said he had no
intention Of g0ing into them.
My answer is clear and explicit" he
declared; the annuities are a bargain
between two peoples, hitherto honorably
kept, and we intend that the agreement
shall stand"
Charges War Declared.
The Labor member, George Buchanan
Of Glasgow, Scotland, exclaimed: rs
that a declaration of war by the right
honorable gentleman" There were
loud cries Of protest from the ministerial
benches.
Buchanan finally resumed his seat
shouting: 1T is a declaration of war, Q
declaration of war for 100000"
Another Scottish Labor member,
James Maxton, wanted to know If the
Irish nation was not going to be treated
as well as foreign nations with whom
Great Britain was negotiating regarding
the revision of treaties.
Thomas made no direct reply but
begged the members of the House to
say nothing in debate which might en-
bitter the situation. He concluded:
But equally I must make it clear to
this House and to the country that the
statement have read leaves no shadow
of doubt on two points, namely, the
oath and the annuities. This is the
considered Judgment of the government
and that is where we stand in the mat
ter"
]. w. Dulanty, Irish high commits
honer in London, listened to Mr..
Thomas statement from the gallery of
the House of Commons. Immediately
after Mr. Thomas finished Dulanty tele-
phoned to Dublin.
King George was informed today of
the critical situation created by De
Valera's announcement.
Mr.. Thomas was with the King for
an hour and went straight from the
palace to the prime minister's house, at
No. 10 Downing street, where. with
other members of the cabinet, he COM
pleted preparations of the statement.
England Is Aroused.
Meanwhile all England was aroused
by the announcement yesterday evening
through Mr.. Dulany, that he had off,
cially informed Mr. Thomas of the In
tentions Of the F1anna Fail govern
ment.
There were many who believed that
removal of the oath would revive the
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