OCR Text |
Show THE PORTS OF IRELAND One part of Ireland, the north, is at war. The other part, known as Eire, is neutral. The latest complication to come out of this situation is over the use of naval bases, which the North permits Britain to use but which the South, in the coastal territory around its 26 counties, denies to its neighbor across the Irish channel. "There can be no question ques-tion of handing over these ports so long as this state remains re-mains neutral", says the Premier of Eire. Mr. de Valera's remarks spring from a suggestion made in the British House of Commons that Eire should surrender or lease to Britain some of her ports for the conduct of the war. His firm denial that U-boats are being supplied with fuel or provisions from Irish ports will be accepted without reservation. But when he implies that the system of coast watching, established at the beginning of the war, is sufficient suffi-cient to prevent U-boats from taking refuge, not in the ports but in the wide natural harbors of Eire, and from there making ruthless attacks on British shipping, he will find himself at variance with a large body of opinion. It is at this point that the suggestion that the pressure of the United States be brought to bear upon Eire assumes a special interest. For the increasing help which the United States is rendering to Britain in its fight for the democratic way of living is no doubt imperiled by the anomalous situation situa-tion which prevails. Christian Science Monitor. |