Page 1 ment, the Irish Government stated their position in the matter in the clearest and most emphatic terms in the Aide Mémoire of 7th January, 1949, to the British Government. That communication having stated the grave anxiety which the Irish Government felt at the suggestion pointed out how completely unjustifiable such action would be, and expressed the hope that "nothing will be done by way of legislation or otherwise which could in any way be construed as pro- longing or strengthening the undemocratic anomaly whereby our country has been partitioned against the will of the overwhelming majority of the Irish people. No reply or comment in respect of this Aide Mémoire was received by the Irish Government notwithstanding the fact that in the meantime the urgent need for finding a solution of the problem of partition has frequently been urged by the Irish Government both in public statements, in informal communications with members of the British Government, as well as in the Irish Government's Aide Mémoire of 8th February, 1949, on the subject of the Atlantic Pact.
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6. In the light of these circumstances and the British legislation whereby Ireland was partitioned being still on the British Statute Book, the Government of Ireland can only regard the enactment of the provisions referred to as an unnecessary provocation and gratuitous reassertion of the claim of the British Parliament to intervene in Irish affairs.
7. The British Government must already be familiar with the serious diffi- culties and grave dangers resulting from the enforced unjust and unnatural partition of Ireland. The step which the British Government is about to take must inevitably increase enormously the existing difficulties and dangers both internally and from the point of view of the relations between Great Britain and Ireland. For this consequence the British Government must assume full respon- sibility.
8. The taking of such a step at a time when friendly co-operation between democratic nations is of such vital importance makes it even more difficult to understand the reasons which have prompted it. The importance of Anglo-Irish friendship as an element of strength and cohesion in the democratic world has been frequently stated. For their part, the Irish Government have striven to remove the last obstacles which prevented the developing and strengthening of such a friendship. It was their hope that the new concept of operation between States of the North Atlantic would, by affording the occasion for the friendly examination of the last remaining difficulty between the two countries, provide a means for its solution. The views of the Irish Government on the matter were stated as follows in the two concluding paragraphs of their Aide Mémoire of 8th February referred to above, viz. : We feel, therefore, that the wisest and most realistic approach to the question of North Atlantic security lies, so far as Ireland is concerned, in ending a situation which threatens the peace of these islands and which may, at any moment, prove a source of grave embarrassment to both Britain and Ireland. Sooner or later, the question will have to be solved. The Government of Ireland feels strongly that it is better to face the question in a realistic fashion and as a matter of urgency now, rather than to allow a situation to develop wherein a solution might be more difficult. The Irish Government is convinced that, far from rendering disservice to Britain, the bringing about of a solution of this question would strengthen Britain's defensive position and increase the security of the States of the Atlantic community. By offering their assistance and mediation, and by creating a situation wherein the problem could be discussed, the participating nations would help to end an undemocratic and dangerous situation and in doing so would render an invaluable service by strengthening the internal harmony and cohesion of the community of States in the North Atlantic." Instead of seeking to remove the sole obstacle to Ireland's participation in the Atlantic Pact, the British Government now pro- pose to take a step marking a further disregard of Ireland's territorial integrity and a fresh denial of Ireland's right to national self determination. The Government of Ireland deplores such a destructive and unfriendly attitude at a time when so much effort is being devoted to preserve fundamental rights and liberties and the democratic way of life. The fact that Ireland is a small nation debarred by her exclusion from the United Nations Organisation from other means of redress makes it all the more necessary for the Government of Ireland to reagtlefi36ally the right of the Irish peoplegto Ideenfi366democratic- ally, of their own free will, without outside interference, their own affairs.
the
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9. Blage too of 36nt of Ireland most strongly urges that, even at this
Page 180 late hour, steps may be taken by the British Government on the lines indicated in the Irish Government's Aide Mémoire of 8th February, 1949, concerning the Atlantic Pact, the Irish Government would, however, press the view that if any such steps are to be taken they should be taken as a matter of urgency now, rather than to allow the development of a situation fraught with further difficulties and dangers.
7th May, 1949.
ANNEX B
AIDE MÉMOIRE FROM HIS MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM TO THE GOVERNMENT OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC
His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom have taken note of the views of the Government of the Republic of Ireland set out in their Aide Mémoire of 7th May regarding the Preamble and Clause 1 of the Ireland Bill.
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In reply, they wish in the first place to emphasise that the declaration con- tained in the Ireland Bill with reference to Northern Ireland constitutes no new departure in policy. The Prime Minister in the House of Commons on 28th October last said: "The view of His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom has always been that no change should be made in the constitutional status of Northern -Ireland without Northern Ireland's free agreement. On 25th November the Prime Minister made a statement recognising the close ties joining the Irish Republic and the United Kingdom, and the common desire of both countries that close and friendly relations between them should continue; on the same occasion the Prime Minister repeated what he had said on 28th October about the position of Northern Ireland.
By an agreement signed on 3rd December, 1925, and later confirmed by legislation in both countries, the Governments of the United Kingdom and of the Irish Free State agreed to the present boundaries of Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister's statements of 28th October and 25th November, and the declaration contained in the Ireland Bill are designed to make it clear that except by due constitutional process Northern Ireland will not cease to be part of His Majesty's dominions and of the United Kingdom. It is not in doubt that a large majority of the population of Northern Ireland at present desire that Northern Ireland should remain within the United Kingdom. The Irish Republic has ceased to be part of His Majesty's dominions, and recognition is given to that fact in the Ireland Bill. The United Kingdom Government are at a loss to understand how they can legitimately be accused by the Government of the Irish Republic of impairing in any way the co-operation between democratic nations by their proposal to declare, in the same Bill that Northern Ireland remains part of His Majesty's dominions and of the United Kingdom, and that no change will be made in her status unless the consent of the people of Northern Ireland, expressed through their Parliament, has first been obtained.
It is open, as it always has been open, to the Government of the Irish Republic to provide evidence to the people of Northern Ireland that their interests lie with the people of the Irish Republic rather than with the rest of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom Government will always be happy to see the development of good feeling between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Meanwhile, they are satisfied that no good would come were they to leave in doubt the right of Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom so long as the majority of its people desire this.
10th May, 1949.