On the 14th of September Mr. McGilligan, Minister for External Affairs, formally made, on behalf of the Irish Free State, the declaration under Article 36 of the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice accepting the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court in respect of all disputes referred to in that Article. This acceptance was made on terms of reciprocity for a period of twenty years without reservation and was declared to be subject to ratification.

    The intention of the Irish Free State to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the Permanent Court was officially announced by Mr. McGilligan at a Plenary Meeting of the present Assembly of the League of Nations on the 11th of September. Further, in accordance with the constitutional principles and procedure outlined in the Report of the Imperial Conference of 1926, the decision to make the declaration referred to was communicated in advance at Geneva to the delegations of the other Members of the Commonwealth. Accordingly, statements in the Press to the effect that the other Members of the Commonwealth were taken by surprise by the action of the Minister for External Affairs of the Irish Free State have no foundation in fact.