The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-06
IRISH CONSIDER TENSION BASED
 ON NEUTRALITY
Germany's Turn to East x Raises Fires Hopes of
 Avoiding War
EDITORS NOTE: This is the first of two stories on Fire, its foreign policy, defenses and way of life as affected by the war.
By REUEL s. MOORE

United Press Staff CorrespOndent)
 Dublin, Oct. 6-(UP)-IriSh hopes of escaping being drawn directly into the war are on the upgrade as the conflict approaches the third winter.
 The shifting of the struggle on land to the east and the improve ment of Britain's position in the battle of the Atlantic are the chief reasons for optimism. On one hand the. Irish have feared the Germans might use Fire as stepping stone for an invasion of Britain. This seems less likely as Germany be- comes more involved in the east.
 On the other hand they have en- visaged htat Britain in desperation might decide 1t needed naval and air bases in Fire and seek to obtain them by force. The pressure for these bases has diminished as Brit aims sea position has improved.
 However, Fire is too close to- the war not to be profoundly affected by 1t. The influences are complex and in some instances counter-bal- ancing, but the net effect is that the people of Fire are carrying an increasing war burden, although their lot is not as hard as that of the British.
 Clings To Neutrality
 Fire still adheres to declared neu- trality and determination to re- sist If either belligerent attempts occupation of Fire. It is better pre- pared to do this than a year ago.
 Fires regular army, local defense force and local security force now total approximately 250,000 men. Teh local defense force is a military force while the security force is civ- ilian. During the past year Fire has obtained more arms from Britain and the United States so that all the army and defense force are equipped f+ least with modern rifles. More modern arms are sought. The exact number in each force is not made public.
 Fires neutrality is not exactly conventional neutrality, but is ad- apted to the special circumstances of its geographical position and re- i lationship with Britain, and is ac- cepted tacitly by belligerents. Fires neutrality Is not entirely negative as far as Britain is concerned. Irish are serving with the British forces.
 Irish labor is migrating to Britain to work in war industries.
 Fire is an important source of food supplies for Britain. Fires steps to defend its territory con- stitute an important contribution to British security. The Irish un- dertake to see that the Axis pow CTS cannot %se Fire as a base for any activities hostile to Britain.
 The Axis applies the blockade to Fire as well as Britain but does not otherwise challenge the Irish Apparently the Axis powers are satisfied that Fires neutrality gives them opportunity to maintain le- gations in Dublin to the annoyance of the British and prevents the use of bases ih Fire by the British.
 The prerence of Axis legations has been a sore point in British Commons, where 1t Is suspected lIlCy Hay UG ~ oOukCG OL faAhbHAS information to the enemy. Actually they have no means of communi- cation with Germany which the British cannot watch. The British insist that the American cable com- panies route all communications from Fire to the United States through British controlled stations, under penalty of suspension of priv ilege to operate in Britain. There Is no evidence that the legations use unauthorized radio communication which would likely be detected by British monitors if attempted.
 The main duty of these legations apparently is to prevent any gravi- tation of Fire toward Britain from its present neutral position by such persuasion as they can exercise.
 The acquisition of bases in Fire by Britain would not be all clear gain for the latter, as Britain would have to provide intensive anti-aircraft defenses for the country, absorbing war materials which Britain can now distribute elsewhere.
 (TOmorrow--FI0w the war off,
 sets life in Eire).