Evening star., 1944-03-13
Britain Believed
Likely toC|ose
Irish Border
London Issues Order
Suspending TroveI
Between Islands
BY the Associated Press.


LONDON, Mar. 13.-The out
right closing of Northern Ire
lands border with Fire to give
full effect to the suspension of
travel between the islands of
Britain and Ireland was a near
prospect today.
All reports from Belfast, Northern
Ireland, said this step-which the
British Government could order
was regarded as inevitable as the
Allies moved to end the alleged use
OF neutral Fire as an Axis SPY base.
Certain other steps, of a nature
not now to be disclosed, also NAV
be taken.
Travel Suspended.
All travel except IN cases of
greatest urgency was suspended be-
tween Britain and Ireland, whether
Northern Ireland or Fire, by a Brit
iSh Home Office order last night
two days after Fires Prime Min
lister Eamon de Valera had an
nounced his refusal to accede to an
American request that German and
japanese diplomatic Offices in the
country be closed.
The order resulted from an ur-
gent request by Gen. Dwight D.
Eisenhower, Allied invasion COM
mander, who was said to have in
formation that Axis representatives
In Fire constituted a serious menace
to military security.
The Irish mail train to Holyhead-
where it connects with the boat to
kingston near Dublin-left London
this morning two thirds empty.
instead of the usual Monday
morning rush there was only
handful of passengers, many of
Whom were doubtful that they would
ne allowed on the boat although
they were using tickets issued be-
fore the travel ban was announced
Some Oppose De VaIera's Stand.
Some Irishmen on the train
mainly laborers - were strongly
against De Valera's position.
What does he want to keep the
Germans in Dublin for?" asked
Michael Leneham of Carrock-on-
SUR. Germany never gave any
thing to Ireland and never will
There was nothing to indicate
that Allied moves were likely to go
as far as the application of economic
against Fire. The British
were going slowly, leaving the in
itiative largely to the United States
because of the ancient feud with
the Irish, and also for these other
practical considerations:
!. Southern Irish volunteers make
up considerable part of the British
armed forces.
2. Great numbers of Southern
1rishmen-they have been estimated
as high as qurter million-work
in British war plants.
3. The ending of all trade with
Fire would in some respects operate
to the disadvantage of the British
as well as the Irish.
Public Comment Temperate.
On both sides public comment was
temperate. The largest newspaper
in Britain, Lord Beaverbrook' EX-
press, subordinated its own editorial
comment to that of the New York
Times.
The Belfast news letter centered
Its editorial on the points that even
with the new travel restrictions "the
border remains a channel of leak
age" and declared, 1T is difficult to
invisage communications and traffic
between the two areas remaining
unfettered."
De Valera's paper, the Irish Press,
declared it still was not clear why
the initial American note asking the
custer of Axis diplomats ever was
sent and there could have been
only one answer, that which has
been given. Its sending can only
have resulted from misreading of
the whole situation in this country" ="
Aside from closing of the Fire
Northern Ireland border there was
the possibility that shipment of
wheat, gasoline and coal which Fire
imports from Britain and the United
States might be curtailed.
Emphasize Possibility.
The Express, the Daily Mail and
other London newspapers all strong
" emphasized this latter possibility
despite statements from both Lon
don and Washington official quar-
ters that economic sanctions were
not proposed.
Although the Home Office order
suspending travel did not affect the
customary easy communication be-
(See ERE, Page A-9D