Ireland

The Free State Governments ordered the release of 400 Republican prisoners. Between Dec. 1 and Dec. 23, 3,481 prisoners were liberated.

P. J. Rutledge, who is acting as "President of the Irish Republic" while "President" Eamon de Valera languishes in prison alluded to the Pope's reference to Ireland in his recent allocution.* Said he: "We fear your Holiness must have been misinformed about the happy approach of a settlement in Ireland."

*For an account of the Pope's allocution, see page 19.