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THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 16, 1941.
EIRE-ULSTER BORDER TO BE TIGHTENED
(By R. Maillard Stead)
TIGHTENING OF military control along the
border between the Irish Republic and the northern counties of Ulster is expected to result from talks between Mr. J. M. Andrews, North Ireland Premier, Sir Dawson Bates, North Ireland Home Secretary, and Mr. Herbert Morrison, British Home Secretary and Minister of Home Security.
Mr. Morrison's visit is a sequel to Sir William Davison's complaint in Commons that enemy spies were crossing the open frontier between Ulster and Eire without hindrance and that information they picked up was being transmitted to Germany via the Nazi Legation in Dublin.
I
Apart from more tanks and planes,
next
sea
basos are needed
But even if Eire was disposed tó concede bases for use by the British Navy that protects its shores, AANDUNEEMent of such Intention could scarcely be ex- proted until another heavy call has been made on war produc- tion to afford ali major cities and potential sea bazes of Eire with effective anti-aircraft pro- tection against heavy air at- tacks any Elran gesture of ald would invite.
British Hampered
Lack of bases on the Irish coast Questions in the House followed based on a long chapter of his-the World War is an
where they were established in searchlight publicity which was toric grievances
enormous swung suddenly onto this topic by Cromwell. This was voiced with Battle of the
dating back to handicap to the British in the official war correspondents here particular intensity to
Atlantic, especially during the mock invasion
an Ameri-in view of of con friend of
the great part now Northern Ireland which I
mine who met have
a played by aircraft in sea opera- Just been witnessing.
young Free Stater on a ferryboat tions. is not only western ap- In this traditionally paradoxi-lish-sure I hate them," he said. pointed out to me, for example, crossing to England. "The Eng-proaches that are affected. It was cal Ireland the war seems both "What do you do near at hand and a long
for a living?" that if only the Royal Air Foros way he away. Hundreds of bomb-shatter- conversation. "Oh", was his reply, sky escorts could be provided for was asked in subsequent had stations in Southern Ireland ed and burned buildings in Bel" am a Hurricane pilot." Identity shipping all the way to Gibraltar fast are a striking memorial two Nazt night raids as intensive tion proved that this was so.
to papers he produced in confirma- or as far in that direction as they while they lasted as anything London, Coventry,
Belfast itself is a microcosm of the
needed to go before handing over Southampton Ireland's disunity in religious and aircraft.
responsibility to relieving or Plymouth ever knew. People political affairs. speak of them now so it seems region
In the poorer Fin's defences-or of
rather lack tu a visitor-as if they had been markets walls
Falls Road and the of them since its army is small, regrettable accidents
are chalked that slipped somehow out of the main "Up the Rebels," or
or and at present by no means for- had painted with inscriptions such as midably equipped
are also stream of war and had exploded Hitler" but along Shankill Road men and to the British, because "Welcome, matter of some anxiety to Ulster- unreasonably in backwater.
and Saney Lane, which strongholds of Protestant Orange- Germans invade Ireland as part are it is taken for granted that if the
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Deep Schism
divergent
Picture Outlined
a
as neu-
Ulster's Good Work
men, legends run "No surrender Not that Ulster is really back-1690-Ulster wants another Crom- establish bridgeheads for the ben-
-No
of land operations against Britain Pope Here Remember
they will use air-borne troops to water, of course. It is doing well.” valuable work' in Great Britain's
efit of divisions transported by war effort, making a big contri-
boats-as "invaders" were assum- bution of service in fighting and
ed to have done in exercises I otherwise. But it is easier to
have More than
been Just a two-way also assumed for this purpose that
witnessing. It was. forget war here than in Britain-
split of religious and practically impossible
and political the enemy was held up in severe to
opinion confuses Irish issues, think of it when one goes out There
fighting down south and had made Me also Nationalist into villages with their blocks of low. stone dwellings set dominion status and Nationalists
long advocates of United Ireland with a surprise landing in the ngrth. amid vivid green boglands scar-whose ambition is red dark brown where
a united Ire- diggers land totally unconnected with the have taken up peat for fuel. British Empire, both sharing Mr. British military authorities out- Such is the operational picture I spent one evening at a spot de Valera's dream of Irish unity lined for a big invasion rehearsal where in words of a ballad the which would cost Ulster its home north of the border. It was a par- Mountains of Mourne run down rule and would turn the Protestant ticularly interesting one for south- to the sea, walked along sands, majority into talked with holidaymakers
a minority in the erners in their present state of fur whole country. There more interested
are sup-military unpreparedness, in the sunset porters of the Irish Republican trals grappling with the problem of than in the day's radio
news Army who are prepared to draw increasing their military strength they had not listened to. The guns against Mr. de only evidence of the war visible well as England or, as their crit might be in Eire actually in war- Valera as under handicaps greater than they was the former, window of antics say, just to draw guns. ice-cream parlour in front of Such
or any rate on. 2 footing which was a number of strollers within an area as small as Ulster with Britain.
partisanships 'close to extensive cooperation in khaki.
tend inevitably to shake unanimity is viewed by
How this situation
some Paradoxes are apt to be accept-in the war effort in
persons in the British Northern Ireland is shown by an ed as atraight logic here, Irishmen, Empire's behalf, especially among editorial printed in old style in say with a tone of humorous pride folks prone to be critical of their in their voices,
administrators and public officials Impartial Reporter" and "Farmers an Enniskillen newspapers, "The Ulster and Eire are crucibles' anyway. The soil is by no means Journal." wherein conflicting elements unsuitable, so many Loyalists told bubble in an admixture of me, for sowing seeds wherefrom strong sentiments that, blended, Nazi "fifth columnists" spring up- can yield surprising results, questionably. Hence the both north and south of the tions raised in Commons recently .border.
concerning the ease wherewith it For instance, Ulstermen delight seems enemy agents can cross the to protest their devotion to Bri-open-boundary and take a look! tain and Britain's
cause, yet around.. many of them are so strongly op- posed to conscription that the British Government decided not to attempt to bring the six couns ties into line with England, Scot- land and Wales in this matter. "It would have means civil war If they had." I was told by one Irishman who at the same time spoke with pride of the number of volunteers pouring into Bri- tain's Alghting services from both Ulster and Eire.
ques-
-It said: "It is well these ports 'bhould be, again controlled by" the British. Government for the good of Eire which cannot well defend thèm.. Churchill prefers to remain: silent on this subject at present. Perhaps more will, be heard of it in the future. The waters in question are of no value to Eire and only to the Kingdom, in event of war, as at been given present, for our ships of war to that British authorities are fully have some anchorage while keep- aware of the dangerous poseling watch on enemy, vessels, in bilities existing in this connecthe track of navigation: tion and are, annulling them as far as possible.
Incipient Danger
Assurances have
Economic Troubles
But since Germany has "an fildial establishment in neutral sonal concern to individual in- Ofar more immediate and per- Eire and a small proportion of the habitants of Eine, accordingto, population there is avowedly persons with whom I have talked unfriendly to Britain, it is ap while motoring thousands of miles Volunteers From Eire parent, for example, that recent in the North during maneuvres,
deployment of British military are prospects of their being: It is amazing where Journeys formations during what were des swamped economically by the end for many southerners who cribed as the biggest exercises backwash of war in which they come up across the border on ever carried out in Ulster could are not engaged It may be pos- excursions, and instead of using have been watched by persons sible to buy right now eggs at the return tickets find their way capable of transmitting intelll two pence each in Tipperary.-08.
which isn't difficult into regence to the Nazis.
many, as you, like—to get bacon” .cruiting offices and thence into Viewed from Ulster, diversion to go with them at a shilling and the British Army or R.A.F of the Nazi war machine eightpence per pound and to plus- In one-country town near the toward Russia is seen to offerter bread thick with butter. But border described as a hotbed valuable time for improvement: of Minister of Supplies Sean Lamass of Irish-Republican Army ad Britain's defences in this region.told the folks of Eire they are herents" who now. object to More tanks and more aeroplanes faced with likelihood of curtall- Premier Eamon de Valera al are plainly needed because un ment and eventual stoppage of molt as much as they object to unfortified frontier sets a pre-industrial production and various the English (ocal recruiting mium on mobile defence that can commercial activities involving sergeant said the influx had be concentrated where needed. loss of employment to thousands Indreased since the Germans Any German agent with papers of workers, social difficulties of had what in a Nazi apology in order who happened to be unmanageah magnitude) defici- was described as a possible miss watching maneuvres just ended ancy of many assential foodstuffs, adventure with bombe blown by could see. for himself that Britain hitherto from, overseas, fuel dim-. strong wind onto Dublin, at present could do with reinforce culties which may cause wide- England "Is 'an-"old · Irish custom Northern Ireland..
(Continued on Page 8)