On the part of the United Kingdom, Mr. Attlee, the Prime Minister, made the following statement in the House of Commons yesterday, the 25th November 1948:
“In 1937 a new constitution was enacted in Eire in which the Crown played no part. The Eire Executive Authority (External Relations) Act which was passed in 1936, however, authorised His Majesty the King to act on behalf of Eire in certain matters within the field of external affairs as and when advised by the Eire Executive Council to do so. In December 1937, the U.K. Government stated, after consultation with the Governments of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, that they, like those Governments, were prepared to treat the new Constitution as not effecting a fundamental alteration in the position of Eire as a member of the Commonwealth. On the 7th September last the Prime Minister of Eire, Mr. Costello, announced that the Eire Government were preparing to repeal the External Relations Act. Subsequently, Mr. Costello confirmed this intention.”