Politics in Ireland

One Vote: Contrary to expectations (TIME, Aug. 22) the Irish Free State government, presided over by William Thomas Cosgrave, was preserved. On a motion of no confidence, introduced by Thomas Johnston, Labor leader, the Dail Eireann (Irish Chamber of Deputies) voted 71 ayes and 71 noes. The Dail Speaker (Ceann-Chomhairle), Michael Hayes, as he was bound to, then cast a deciding vote in favor of the Cabinet and the motion was lost. President (Prime Minister) Cosgrave then adjourned the Chamber till Oct. 11.

Checking up the list of voters on the motion, the Opposition found that one John Jinks, Nationalist, had abstained, effectively making himself a jinx in the "surefire plan of ousting President Cosgrave and his party. By night the name of Jinks resounded throughout Ireland and most of the civilized world. He explained that he purposely refrained from voting; that he had not been spirited away by the Government party, as had first been suspected; that he felt he could not cooperate with the Republicans against President Cosgrave.

Outlook: The probability is that soon after the Oireachtas (Parliament) meets in October President Cosgrave will fall, for no government can conceivably remain in power with one vote as a working majority, especially when the executive is dependent upon a coalition. Meantime, each party may well be pruning itself for a new general election:

Government Party: The Government party (Cumannna-Ghaedheal, or League of the Gael) is that section of the original Sinn Fein group that accepted the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921, which ended the 700-year-old British domination and set up the Irish Free State. Owing to the fact that the Republicans have until recently refused to sit in the Dail and the official opposition group has therefore been weak, many Irishmen feel that the Cosgrave regime has been overbearing, dictatorial. It has, however, had the thankless task of restoring order after a devastating revolution. It has been forced as recently as last year, when the police barracks were attacked (TIME, Nov. 29), to repress violence with a firm hand. It began to incur unpopularity when, after the assassination of General Hales in 1922, Rory O'Connor, Republican, was shot as a reprisal. It has continued to incur enmity by a long list of arbitrary measures, such as the centralization of county government, the abolition of the corporations of Dublin and Cork, and the recent Public Safety Act, which aims at disbanding the Republican army, the Republican Boy Scouts and unearthing the arms and ammunitions buried by the de Valera-ites.

Other Irishmen agree, however, that a strong government was necessary and that William (Liam) Cosgrave and the late Kevin O'Higgins, assassinated (TIME, July 18), have been the strong men in a strong regime. It is also conceded that the government has done much to promote the prosperity of the nation along sound lines and that the reason it has not been so successful as it might have been is because providence has not provided Ireland with good crops--an important matter in a country predominantly agricultural.

Labor Party: The Labor group, led by English-born Thomas Johnston, has done much good work for the working classes. It is strictly constitutional in its methods, moderate in policy, and contains many able politicians. Until the advent of the Republicans, it occupied the extreme left benches and is, therefore, paradoxically, to be considered the radical party of the Free State.

Thomas Johnston, who may be the President of the next government, is one of the great figures of the Dail, much as is "Tay Pay" O'Connor in the House of Commons. Able, quiet, indomitable, he is a seasoned parliamentarian. With hair almost white and grave, beetling brows, he presents a picture of the serious, handsome, ideal statesman. Many a time has he prevented a bill from being rushed through the Dail without discussion, when his young, inexperienced henchmen were unaware of what was happening, and thus put a spoke in President Cosgrave's governmental wheels. And if in the Dail respected as an "enemy" of the government, he is almost loved in the lobbies. His upright character is a living reminder to the younger politicians of what can be accomplished by hard work, patience, modesty and moderation.

Farmers' Party: The farmers comprised in this party are mostly the large land owners, the small farmer often belonging to the Labor group or the Republicans. In general it supports the government because the government opposes tariff protection. The farmers argue that they cannot afford protection because it would restrict their markets and increase the cost of agricultural machinery, imported mainly from Great Britain.

National League: 'This group, which is bitterly opposed to the government on .economic questions, is the result of an understanding between Captain William A. Redmond and Thomas O'Donnell. As a new party it has practically no record, but it contains some of the ablest men in the Free State and is considered to be one of the growing political organizations.

Fianna Fail: This party contains the other section of the original Sinn Fein party--those that refused to accept the Anglo-Irish treaty-- and is led by Eamon de Valera. It is the principal Republican group in the Free State. Until a fortnight ago it steadfastly refused to enter the Dail unless the oath of allegiance to King George were removed. It recanted from this stand, however, and took the oath as "a matter of form (TIME, Aug. 22).

In 1921, in a declaration, since become famous as Document No. 2, Mr. de Valera, set forth the aims of his Republican group: government vested solely in the Irish people; association with full Dominion status with the states of the British Commonwealth of Nations; recognition of "His Britannic Majesty" as the head of the association. This, said Mr. de Valera will bring the "Republic to the brow of the precipice." His proposals were refused, however. They meant, in effect, a separate sovereignty for Ireland instead of recognizing the common citizenship of the Commonwealth. Such conditions were not acceptable to the London government.

Last fall the status was revised and it now meets all Mr. de Valera's conditions. The last Imperial Conference* (TIME, Nov. 1 et seq.), by changing the King's title gave Ireland nominal full sovereignty within the Commonwealth; for by that decision George V became as much King of Ireland as he is King of England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc. Today Irishmen in the Free States who are loyal to the treaty toast the King not as the English monarch but as the King of Ireland.

Mr. de Valera, again a wholehearted Republican, sees no change. He wants only "external association" with the Commonwealth (and not a membership within it) that will not bind Ireland to a King who never even visits the Free State. The difference is difficult to explain, but is best summed up by contrasting "external association" with internal association, and the seeming impossibility of having a republic in the monarchical Commonwealth.

Sinn Fein: This group represents the die-hard Republicans, led by Miss Mary McSwiney, sister of Cork's late Lord Mayor. It believes in forcible methods to overthrow the Free State regime.

Economic Conditions: Irishmen assert that there has not been a major political issue since the settlement of the Irish boundary dispute (TIME, Dec. 14, 1925). The problems and difficulties have mostly been economic. Taxation remains higher than in England; agriculture has been depressed by bad conditions and poor credit; industry suffers from competition in Britain and Northern Ireland and clamors for protection, which, it points out, would ease unemployment.

On the other hand, however, a great deal is being done. The Shannon electricity scheme is proceeding at enormous expense. When completed the Free State will have a large, cheap source of power and there will then, so say observers, be no reason why the industrialists should not meet competition scientifically by modernizing their machinery, much needed in the cotton, poplin and woolen industries. Moves are afoot to exploit scientifically coal and other minerals, and recently a Belgian syndicate received a $5.000,000 subsidy to grow beets for the sugar industry.

Significance: Although there have been many fears expressed over the future of the Free State, there does not appear to be any ground whatever for them. Nobody need expect Erin to become a republic overnight. The Republicans are practically deadlocked in the Dail, for the rest of the House is overwhelmingly pro-treaty and a coalition for Mr. de Valera on the Republican issue is impossible. Thomas Johnston made that much plain last week, and his party is nearest in political complexion to the de Valera-ites.

Moreover it is well to bear in mind that association of one form or another is inevitable since 97% of the Free State's exports go to Great Britain and Northern Ireland and 81% of its imports come from the same source. The guarantees against a real jinx in the Irish stew seem adequate.

* Meeting of the Home and Dominion Prime Ministers .for discussions of Commonwealth policy.