The Neutrality of Eire
Discussion of the difficulties and dangers Involved in the scrupulous neutrality of Eire, carrying with it the refusal to grant to the Royal Navy the use of the Irish ports which were so invaluable in the last war, continues to little purpose. Many proposals for an equitable agreement which would add sub- stantially to this country's security can be framed ; one is put forward by Professor W. K. Hancock in the last issue of The Spectator. But Mr. de Valera rejects all of them, though Eire owes her own security to the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, and her prosperity to the markets of Britain. In such a case Hitler, of course, would cut short all discussion by occupying Eire. That is where Hitler's methods differ from ours. There can be no question of our taking any such step, and the prospect of successful representations by President Roosevelt does not appear very promising, for when it is argued (for example) that for lack of air-bases in Eire we are fatally handicapped in the attempt to protect shipping in the Atlantic from German bombers operating from Brittany, the Irish can reasonably reply that those same bombers could devastate their country if Eire departed from her neutrality by giving Britain the use of her ports. There the matter seems likely to remain. Unfortunately, the situation has been further prejudiced by the wide circulation in Eire of the totally base- less report that Mr. Lees-Smith in a speech in the House of Commons alleged that German submarines were making use of Irish bays and harbours. He said nothing of the kind, nor is there reason to think anything of the kind is happening.
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