Evening star., 1940-12-09
Fire U-Bout
Bases Denied
By Russell
Col. PoImer's Article
On Galway Boy
Is AssuiIed
To the Editor OF The Star:

BRUSH propaganda seems to have
won its most candid recruit IN Col.
| Frederick Palmer In an article
widely published on November 30,
and which appeared in The Star, he
argues vigorously that "in the seri-
GUS situation" of Great Britain the
should be delivered to her.
The serious situation" is the
growing loss of British tonnage by
submarine attacks. and this, we are
to assume, British possession of
these ports, including Galway on
the west coast, would bring to
an end.
The backbone of Col. Palmer's
argument is that Galway is now
being used by German submarines
as a supply base and, being refueled
ana resupplied there, they proceed
upon their hellish errand peculiarly
equipped for deadly success.
Prlme Minister de Valera of Fire
'"hlch Col. Palmer most strangely
and unpardonably miscalls the Free
State when there is no such state)
mas stamped upon this fantastic in.
Ventlon an inescapable stigma. He
mas declared to all the world that
IL Is "a Ile' and that the British
/ government knows it to be a lie.
Col. Palmer is well aware of this
oetermlnative fact, but saws that
maybe the Prime Minister does not
know what is going on in Galway.
No one who knows Mr.. de Valera,
once aptly described as the man
OF crystalline integrity" needs to
be assured that he would not make
a positive assertion except upon
/ positive knowledge. But if he and
his Watchful government, with all
OF its resources and all of its vital
interests at stake. do not know
there are German submarines in
Galway, who does know?
Promptly comes the answer from
Col. Palmer. From a quite trust
worthy source he says. II Learn
that Galway is being used as
submarine base" SO he learns in
Brooklyn what De Valera cannot
learn IN Ireland, and on the basis
OF this testimony We are asked to
reject the unequivocal statement of
the head of the Irish government
and accept anonymity as our trusty
guide.
1t happens, however. that we
have at hand other testimony on
this subject. and neither nameless
nor open to the least question. since
it comes from the British govern
ment itself.
/ In the British House of Lords on
October %, Lord Strabolgi, a mem
Der. denounced as physically i'm
possible the story of the submarines
in Galway Bay, and pointed out, for
/ one thing. that the submarines Gid
/ not use gasoline, but heavy fuel oil,
OF which no submarine could carry
an extra supply sufficient to refuel
/ another vessel. That is TO say. such
supplies could be transported only
/ in surface ship. which could not
fail to be observed and reported.
Lord Strabolgi demanded that the
government state the facts about
! this matter and explain why it had
allowed these impossible stories to
be circulated in the press.
In reply, Lord Smell. deputy leader
OF the house and authorized spokes-
man Tor the government, said he
did not know why the government
had allowed these imaginings to 90
uncorrected. The subject was "of
I great delicacy and of some impor-
tance. Then followed this state
ment, which seems final and deci-
/ sive.
I All he could say that day was
that the government had no evi-
dence to the effect that enemy SUBJ
marines were being supplied from
Irish territory"
So If Mr.. de Valera Is either
ignorant or dishonest he shares that
distinction with the British gov
ernment, equipped with all its mar
velous machinery for accurate in
formation.
I may cinch this matter with a
few obvious facts.
l. Great Britain does not need
any more ports in Ireland. It is
already provided with excellent
ports in Irish territory, these being
Londonderry and Lough Foyle. not
10 mention others, which. lying
within the boundaries of the Six
Counties, are under complete Brit
ish control. And these are not only
good ports, but they are nearer to
the northern transatlantic route
now most commonly followed than
the ports she is trying to acquire.
2. The ports she wants are Cobb.
Berehaven and Lough Swilley, be-
ing ports that were returned to
Ireland when the independence of
Fire was acknowledged And these
ports are of no advantage to her in
combating the Atlantic raiders.
3. The shores of Galway Bay are
| thickly inhabited and it would be
/ impossible for any transfer of sup
plies to a submarine to take place
without common knowledge.
1t is evident that the real purpose
of this campaign is something else.
What is really involved appears
probable enough on a little refiec-
| ton.
l. II she obtains these ports and
wins the war Britain will have Ire
land again at her mercy and the
independence so far achieved after
seven centuries of struggle will be
at All end.
2. If she wins these ports they
will inevitably be attacked by the
Nazis. whereupon the natural SYM
pathies of America will be aroused
as nothing else could arouse them
and America will be the more easily
moved to come openly to Britain's
aid.
In all this is a profound menace
to fundamental principles of democ-
racy. The people of Ireland have
overwhelmingly declared their fixed
determination to remain neutral and
have no part in the madhouse
slaughters convulsing the rest of
Europe. AS sovereign people this
is their indefeasable right. Any
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