The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-03-23

f note but Thomas argued that puD- lication would embitter the situa- tion.
 An exchange of communications must be awaited, he said, adding he was sure no one in the house lever subscribed to the policy that bar gain or treaty between both sides should with impunity be repudi- ated by one."
 Dulanty later issued a statement containing the outline of his com munication to Thomas. The Brit ish government was notified that the Free State government holds the oath of allegiance not nanda- tory in the Anglo-Irish treaty and that the government has the ab- solute right to modify the consti- tuition as the people desire. Any thing affecting the constitution be. longs to internal sovereignty and 1t purely c domestic matter, Dulanty's statement said.
 "The people have declared their will without ambiguity. Abolition of the oath was the principal and paramount issue before the elec- tors Gin the dail elections when De Valera came into power). The  and dissension in the Free State since the signing of the treaty. The people regard it as 0 relic of medievalism and a test imposed upon them under threats of im- mediate and terrible war.
 "The new government does not desire unfriendly relations with Great Britain" the statement con- tinued. But the British govern ment must realize that the real peace of Ireland Is impossible while full and free representation of the people in their paliament is rem dered impossible by test of thiu character.
 "Even if the British government holds the view that the oath is mandatory in the treaty, 1t must recognize that such a test and im- position on the conscience of the people is completely out of place in the political agreement between the two countries"
 Irish land annuities are collected from tenant farmers buying prop erty which once belonged to estates owned by British landlords. The funds are paid to the British ex- chequer which originally financed the operation for tenants to be- come the owners of the land. | After years of depression, dis pute, the bloodshed over the land question, the British government in 1885 passed what was called the great land purchase act. It pro- vided that when 0 landlord and tenant agreed upon the purchase price of the landlords interest, the government would advance the money to finance the transaction and should be repaid by annuities over a period of years.
 Land stock was floated. It Is still quoted on the London stock ex- change. Under this arrangement the tenant agreed to pay a pur- chase price of so many years rental, usually IS years. Thus is Q farm rented for $250, the pur. chase price would be $4,500. The state would pay that amount and the tenant would repay the state by annual instalments of four per cent.
 When the treaty establishing Irish independence was signed in 1921 about two-thirds of the land in Ireland, according to the best available figures, had passed to tenants under voluntary transac- tions of this sort.
 At that time the new Irish gov ernment undertook to collect the annuities. Tn the north of Ireland 1t was arranged that the local gov ernment should keep the payments According to Irish authorities here the same arrangement was sug. gested for southern Ireland, but the plan was not adopted. Pay. ments since then have been trans. ferred to the British government
 The new Irish administration oi De Valera claims the right to re. tain the annuity payments on the ground that they are not legally due to Great Britain. The govern. ment said 1t originally was intend. ed that Ireland should retain the payments and that technicalities ir the present arrangements made the payments to Britain illegal.