MEMORANDUM ON THE STATE OF IRELAND             
 
                                                            
 
                         NEUTRALITY                         
 
                                                            
 
 
Under Mr. de Valera's leadership, Irish neutrality has become a synonym   
for Irish Independence. Notice has, in effect, been served on all   
political opponents of the Fianna Fall (de Valera) Party, now in power,  
that discussion of the advisability of neutrality is  
tantamount to treason. There has been no dissent on the part of the   
Opposition, except in the case of James M. Dillon, who resigned from his   
Party, the Fine Gael, on that issue and declared himself unreservedly in   
favor of joining the United States in ams. His utterances even in the   
    Irish Dail are forbidden publication by the Censor.     
 
                                                            
 
 
Although all shades of political opposition, with the exception of Dillon,   
subscribe to the de Valera policy, there is evidently anxiety among the   
Fica Fail leaders lost, in the event of general elections, discussion   
break out and the advisability of neutrality, both as a short-range and   
         long-range policy be seriously questioned.         
 
                                                            
 
 
Operating, as it does to handicap the common defense of the two Islands,   
the transport of supplies which mainrain Irish economy, and to intrench   
German intelligence and Fifth Column agencies on Irish soil, the effect of   
 Irish neutrality is overwhelmingly in the interest of the