PRIVATE ARMIES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 106, 8 May 1933, Page 7

PRIVATE ARMIES

FORCES OF IRELAND

HOW THEY WERE CREATED

SPLIT OVEE TEEATY

The Irish Free State today invidiously resembles certain parts of Continental Europe in one thing—the possession of rival private armies, in addition ■ to the regular armed forces of the country. On the ono side is the Irish Republican Army whose name speaks for itself. On the other is the Army Comrades' Association, most of whose members fought against the I.R.A. dur- ■ ing the civil war in 1922-23, writes the Dublin, correspondent of the '' Christian Science Monitor." To understand this situation —which is the key to much that is obscure in Irish politics today—it is necessary to look back ten or a dozen years. Shortly after the end of tho World War, an Irish Kepublican Army took the field against Great Britain. In 1921, negotiations took place in London which re•ulted in a draft■treaty being signed by representatives of the two countries. This act caused'the Irish Republican Army to split into two almost equal parts. The one under Mr. Eamon de valera, vehemently opposed to the treaty. The other, the forerunner of the present Cuinann ha Gaedheal Party, led by Mr. William Cosgrave, as w strenuously supported the ■ treaty. Al- / though the latter section carried the . day in the Dail by 64 votes to 57, and ■ was overwhelmingly stronger in the country as a whole, the anti-treaty faction ended by taking up arms against their former comrades. TREATY SECTION WON. After months of fratricidally bitter fighting, the pro-treaty section—by this - time the Free State Army—was successful. The remnant of the old I.R.A. then split afresh—the larger section go: • ing with Mr. de Valera to form, a constitutional Republican Party, the Karma Fail, while a small minority of - bitter-enders continued to call itself the ; Irish Republican Army and refused to give up its military and nujjtant organisation. Today tho I.R.A. consists of an unknown number —anything from . EOOO to 10,000. Thus, while the pro-treaty section was in office—that is up to this time last' year-r-the Free State Government, its regular army, and police force were .composed exclusively of those who had ■won the civil war. Q£ those who had lost, the more moderate section formed , the Parliamentary Opposition. Supporting this Opposition, but not wholeheartedly, were the v extremists, the 1.R.A., who refused to accept the Con-' stitution or the treaty, or even the legality of successive elected Dails. They Brilled openly in defiance of legal enactments. They formed ' arms dumps -■within sight of the capital. They car- ■ lied on unceasing propaganda and recruiting among the younger generation. '' To stop these activities, the Free ; State Government passed the Public ; Safety- Act so as to enable members of * the I.R.A. to be tried by military in-. ; fctcad of Civil Courts. The reason Advanced was that it was impossible to (obtain convictions in the ordinary 'Courts owing to systcriiatic intimidation of juries. At the time of the jGeneral Election, this time last year, fceveral of the more prominent I.R.A, members were in prison after a sentence by a military tribunal. \ ■ MEN RELEASED. . The election in the spring of 1932 jturned. out the- Pro-treaty' Government , Bf Mr. Cosgrave, and put^r.'de, Valera ..in<': _■ His first apt was to release the Imprisoned 1.R.A.-—without, however, repealing the law under which they had jbeon sentenced. He deprecated, their jextra-legal activities, he said. But so -far he hag taken no steps to put a stop ' to them. Since Mr. do Valera came to office a frear ago, the numbers of the I.R.A. iave increased ■ considerably. And (they are all armed, even if their weap-ons-are often a little nondescript. The fall of the Cosgrav* Government led to the formation of another private jarmy to offset tho I.R.A. Eitherto the Interests of the pro-treaty section Jiad been adequately protected jby_ . the _ regular forces. But l^vith the arrival in office of the group that had lost the civil war, the victors In that war began'to feel the need of a [rolunteer organisation. Consequently, last summer, tho Army jComrades' Association was formed. Aefcording to its constitution the A.C.A. Js a non-party body. Its avowed aim is to help maintain law and order, the fights of free speech and unintimidated (Voting..But these aims inevitably bring ft into conflict with the 1.R.A., which ifche A.C.A. accuses of defying the law Jnd interfering with free speech and ree voting. EASILY OBTAINED. ; Like the 1.R.A., the Comrades seem (to have no difficulty in getting arms. {And it is a body that has evidently jeome to stay either until it is forcibly Hisbanded or the I.R.A. has gpne out of ■business. Similarly the I.R.A. projclaims its intention of carrying on till Hhere is an independent Republic of'all Jr eland. Recently Mr. de Valera announced siis intention of establishing an ofJGcial volunteer force. Since, one of tis objects is to cut the recruiting ground from under the feet of the 1.R.A., the extremists on the left are Indignant at this proposal. . And there Is no more enthusiasm from the A.C.A. ton the right. In fact, only Mr. de (Valera ?s own personal following could |»c drawn into the new force. . There ig a possibility, therefore, that Jpf this volunteer project ■ succeeds, the Situation may get worse instead of retter. There would then bo two official armies drawn y from hostile political facjtions as well as two unofficial armies. The Free State's greatest need toBay is a statesman who can heal the preach of the civil war. Mr. Cosgrave »nd the victors failed to do so during their ten years of office—perhaps no fault of their own. For ' Ihe past year it has been the turn of ithe losers and it has to be admitted Jhat the repairing of the breach is still toot in sight.