Eire will have new treason laws next week when the President, Dr Douglas Hyde, places his signature to a document which will then be sent to the Four Courts for safe keeping. As we know, death is the penalty for a major offence of treason, but I confess I am more interested in the clause which sets out that every person who, being an Irish citizen, or is ordinarily resident within the State, commits treason outside the State, shall be liable to the death penalty. It occurs to me that if such a person is engaged in treasonable activity in territory actually beyond the limits of the twenty-six counties, the law officers here may have some difficulty in getting him back, first class to Eire.
Extradition processes are unwieldy and sometimes long-drawn-out affairs, but, perhaps, I have gone off on the wrong track, not knowing what effective steps Mr de Valera and his Government may have taken to simplify what to me seems a very involved matter.
The Irish Times, May 26th, 1939.