Irish applications to join the UN were rejected several times by the Soviet Union, using its veto for some 10 years. On the first occasion, the reason given was the absence of Irish diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union. Then they accused Ireland of having been pro-Nazi during the second World War. Taoiseach Eamon de Valera responded with a forthrightness that mirrored his riposte to Winston Churchill’s criticism of Irish neutrality. – JOE JOYCE
IRELAND IS not disturbed at the prospect of being refused membership of the United Nations Organisation through the exercise of the Russian veto.
This was made clear to the Dublin correspondent of the " New York Times" by Mr. de Valera in an interview yesterday.
“The decision to apply for membership,” Mr. de Valera said, “was taken by the Irish Government with no little misgiving and only because Ireland wished to play her full part in every effort to secure international co-operation and world peace. The reasons given by the Russian representative for opposing Ireland’s admission are obviously a pretence.
“The statement that Ireland expressed sympathy with the Axis is simply untrue. The Irish people are genuinely a democratic people, who, while they do not desire to interfere with the manner in which other peoples organise their social life or govern themselves, dislike for their own part and fundamentally, dictatorships and dislike them whatever their variety.
“As for Ireland’s attitude during the war, Ireland remained neutral, but she would have defended herself to the best of her ability if attacked.
“Russia did not enter the war until she was attacked and, for almost two years preceding her entry, Russia assisted Germany in accordance with the terms of a trade agreement which she made with Germany shortly before the war. Moreover, the immediate preparatory step to Germany’s attack on Poland on September 1st, 1939, was the conclusion of the famous Non-Aggression Pact between Russia and Germany, signed by Mr. Molotov [Soviet Foreign Minister] and Herr Ribbentrop [German Foreign Minister] on August 23rd - i.e., one week before the war broke out. That agreement was interpreted by everyone at the time as giving Germany a free hand to go ahead.
“The Russian view of the qualities required in a nation for entry into the United Nations Organisation is a strange one.
“If Russia, which attacked Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, can be regarded as qualifying as a peace-loving nation, it is difficult to see how a nation which kept the peace and scrupulously fulfilled all its obligations as a member of the League of Nations can rightly be regarded as not qualifying – but, then,” said Mr. de Valera, smiling, “we have no diplomatic relations with Russia.
“Russia’s action in this matter is clearly an abuse of power and it is obvious that no organisation in which such action is possible will command the peoples’ respect or can long endure.”
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