Ireland

Before dissolving on Aug. 4, the Dial Eireann took the precaution of passing a Public Safety bill, empowering the Free State Government to hold in prison its 12,000 political prisoners.

The Court of Appeals had granted habeas corpus to two prisoners, holding that a state of war no longer existed. The 11,998 other prisoners could have been released prior to the elections which will take place in the Fall, so the bill was hastily passed and the Free State elections will be rid of this many presumably hostile voters.