Evening star., 1948-08-29

ing one cabinet minister after an.
other to Ireland for holiday"
Prime Minister Attlee, himself,
and his chief economic adviser,
President of the Board Of Trade Sir
Stafford Grips, both went across
the Irish Sea this month. Lesser
officials have been visiting Ireland
all year.
There are so many British min
listers over here there is bound to
be wedding" they say in Dublin.
Whitehall spokesmen for the
ministers merely laugh off the sug-
gestion that talks looking to re-
union are scheduled. They answer
such questions with the comment
that ireland is good holiday re-
sort" and reminders that August is
vacation month.
Yet Fire newspapers print head
lines of "U Day" There are rumors
of meetings near the border and
reports that British officials are
expected to discuss reunion at their
conferences with Ulster Prime Min
lister Sir Basil Brooke.
Separated Since 1920
Whatever negotiations have gone
on, or are scheduled. are in the
category of "off -the-record" discus
sions.
Costello told the Dali on July %
that prospects we're Frightening"
for the union of Southern (Eire) and
Northern CUlster ireland into q
single state.
Il have got to speak with due
reserve" he said. But I feel that
for the first time since 1922 there
appears some hope of securing a
united Ireland because of advances
being made"
The six counties of Northern Ire
land were separated from the Irish
Free State (Eire) by the (British)
Government of Ireland Act of 1920.
Two separate Parliaments we're set
up.
Fires new constitution approved
by the Dahl (Eireann Parliament) on
June IA, 1887, dropped the name Irish
Free State and restored the name
Ireland (Eire in Gaelic. This con-
stitution applies to the whole OF
ireland, but pending reunion, it
stipulates that its laws apply only
to Fire.
The interests of the six north
eastern counties demand that there
should be united Ireland, especial
ly if there should be war In the next
few years." said Costello In his (July
23) Dali speech.
A week later Sir Basil declared
fatty that Ulster was mot for sale"
Battle of Statements
"On behalf of the government Of
Northern Ireland" he said, II deem
it my duty to say that we in Ulster
intend to remain within the United
Kingdom and the British Common
wealth, giving our whole-hearted
allegiance to the crown, standing
side by side with our fellow citizens
in Great Britain in peace and in
var, and playing our full part In
the struggle for European recovery
and the economic stability Of the
world
Back and forth the statements
md counter statements go.
De Valera said in New York last
March that relations between his
country and Britain had improved
considerably since 1888. land If par
tition were ended they would be as
good as between any two nations
in the world"
On this point Sir Basil said on
July 80:
Naturally, welcome any evidence
of a less embittered attitude toward
the United Kingdom by political
leaders in Fire. It Is in the interest
of both countries that great prob
lens like security and trade should
be approached in a spirit free from
rancor.
Some Other Views
"At the same time Northern Ire
land will not countenance any at
tempt to make its constitutional
status a bargaining factor in talks
between Dublin and Westminster
or in discussions regarding Fires
role in European affairs"
De Valera said in San Francisco
that four of the six counties In
Northern Ireland favor joining the
Irish Free State, adding that "our
aim will not have been achieved
until all Ireland's 80 counties are
united, as 26 of them are today
Eire's Minister for External At
fairs, Sean MacBride, has declared
that ireland cannot afford to re-
main outside a Western European
federation, but he believes that Ire
land must be united before 1t enters
such framework.
Fire chung to neutrality in the
recent World War" says Sir Basil,
"and there Is no assurance that Fire
would take a different line next
time"
Ulster Not Keen About It
Northern Ireland's Minister az
Home Affairs Edmond Warnock says,
I'VE are a predominantly Protestant
people and would never enter any
system of government which would
be dominated by a permanent Ro-
man Catholic ma jority."
Ulster, with its 1,250,0o0 people,
does not relish sharing It's prosperity
with the 2,250,00o people In Fire.
because 1t may mean fewer social
benefits and lower living standards.