At It Again

Eamom de Valera, New-York-State born Irishman, recently released from prison (TIME. July 28), harangued a crowd at Ennis, where, about one year ago, he was arrested by Free State troops (TIME, Aug. 27, 1923).

Mr. de Valera's speech was much the same as many another he has uttered. He advocated an Irish Republic, independence and unity of the Irish people. There was this difference, however: he failed to incite the crowd to violence; he committed himself to a peaceful policy of establishing the republic by the power of the vote; he expressed himself as forever faithful to the "Sinn Fein Constitution." Said he:

"I shall be as faithful to that Constitution, in letter and in spirit, in the futu.re as I have been in the past."

In common with his supporters, both in Ireland and abroad, his antagonism to Britain has become an hysteria, properly lacking rhyme and reason, dependent for its thesis on distorted facts, grotesque imagining.

There is, however, this much to be said in defense of de Valera's agitation for a republic. Britain herself, by a long series of unimaginable blunders and appalling procrastination, forced the Irish people to look to republicanism as the savior of their ancient liberty so long denied to them. But Britain, with unquestioned sincerity, despite unfortunate complications, has given proof of her desire to atone, as much as is in her power, for the past, by granting unfettered autonomy to the Free State as a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and by showing determination in conforming to her treaty obligations.

But Mr. de Valera and his followers, a noisy minority, cannot see the wood for the trees, and they continue to advocate an Irish Republic-- possibly because such advocacy has become a habit. For the same reason he possibly continues to hate England. Thus, always playing on the same string, he stirs wild enthusiasm in the bosoms of those who think as he does. His speech:

"So long as England lays claim to any right of exercising any authority whatsoever in or over Ireland, or any part of it, so long will there be need for the organization of republicans to oppose it. The need for this organization of opposition, the need for asserting our right to and demand for recognition of our full sovereignty and independence is particularly urgent at the present time.

"By national efforts, from 1917 to 1921, the peoples of the world have been educated to understand the scope of our national demand. The moment England by threats had secured Irish sig natures to her so-called treaty, the organs of English propaganda through out the world were concentrated on making it appear that our national demand was conceded and Irish national aspirations were fully satisfied.

"To illustrate the effectiveness of this propaganda, I need only to point to the speech of John W. Davis, Democratic candidate for the Presidency of the United States, when he recently spoke of Ireland as 'having shaken off her long subjection.' "That friends of Ireland through out the world, and particularly in America, may not 'be deceived and may not be tempted to relax their efforts in Ireland's behalf until real freedom is achieved, let us send forth this plain message :

" 'The so-called treaty that has been imposed upon them by threats of force and purports to deny their sovereignty and to partition their country, is not accepted by the Irish people, and is not regarded and never will be regarded by them as binding either on their honor or conscience.' "