AGAIN AN ISSUE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 35, 10 August 1934, Page 14

AGAIN AN ISSUE

REPUBLIC FOR IRELAND

BUT SOLUTION NO NEARER

During the past few weeks the major issues in Free Stato politics—the all-Ireland' republic and secession from the British .Commonwealth of Nations —have been very much in the forefront in public attention (writes Hugh Smith from Dublin to the "New York Times")- Both within and outsido thp Dail long and inconclusive speeches on theso issues wero delivered by President Eanion do Valera and Opposition leaders, but the position remains unaltered. With the constitutional situation of the country in such an unsatisfactory stato there can bo no : real progress. Most persons would like to see the question of republic versus dominion resolved once and for . all time. Mr. de Valera's. slow-uiotion process of getting tho republic by severing one constitutional link at a time. is not conducive to the internal peace of the country. En an endeavour to end the present untenable position of Ireland being half out of the British Empire, Frank MacDermott and Major-General Scan Maceoin presented a motion for discussion in the Dail to. the following effect:— , . . ' "In the opinion of the Dail the Government ought either to abandon its profespion of republicanism or seek authority of the electorate-for the immediate establishment of a republic." Tho Government. is unlikely ,to give the Opposition an opportunity for discussion of the motion for many months to come unless,' in deed, the Karma Fail Party suffers sever.c reverses in the local election contests. In that event Mr. ds Valera might take the plunge1 by going to the country on the secession issue. Recently tho Dail President admitted that the _ question of secession from tho British Commonwealth was being seriously considered by his party. He refrained, however, from telling what he hoped to gain by such a move. Secession ■ under tho present conditions would simply mean creating a twenty-six-county republic with British occupation of the port of Cobh. • . Such an outcome, as Mr. de Valera realises, would not please anybody and would' result in imposing additional serious economic and other disabilities on tho citizens of tho twenty-sis counties as they would become aliens in the British Commonwealth and Northern Ireland. ;:■ The O'Duffy and Cosgrave Party places the unity of.lreland before creation of the republic. General O'Duffy put the party's viewpoint succinctly in a recent speech at Mullingarv "Wo are all agreed," he said, "that this country should be the mistress of its own destinies. Personally. I fix no barrier to tho development' of tho nation, but the greatest obstacle to the realisation of tho national aim is partition. Our efforts should be towards tho realisation of a united Ireland, and while labouring towards unity it should hp possible, to develop eoono- . micaliy. getting all the advantages nos^l-ilp from lie present situation. "Tho only defect of the pnlicv is that it in not bellicose and is mirnmantie md will not appeal to hotheads "and t'eatherheads, but only to the think!n(? nennle of tho country, botl. old and young." The whole weakness of the Fianna bail's external uolicy at the moment 's Hint it offers no practical means of nphieviiitf the unity of Ireland or of -pstni-ini hprter relations with Rritnin Mr do Vnlera. when pressed by Be inhlip'flTis finr: some decisive line.of ao Hon. fakes refuge in Hie nlea that he will tvniv declave n remiMic wlien^the can be pffpptive. Hpi,omits hnwpvoiv to indicate what . steps -he nrnnnses ■: to ndmit to bring that 'day nearer.. ..; v . ■■/■__-••■ ■•:';