ULSTER'S KNIGHT DIES IN ARMOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 127, 25 November 1940, Page 6

ULSTER'S KNIGHT DIES IN ARMOUR

Leadership is rather rare in the modern world; leadership, combined with fixity of principle, is still rarer. Both friend and foe therefore should drop a tear over the grave of Lord Craigavon, veteran Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, to whose personal leadership Ulster remained faithful over many yearsyears terminated only by death. In quality, though not in scope of power, Lord Craigavon's record reign in Ulster compares more than favourably with the exploits of the two Dictators. He has held power as long as Mussolini —and much longer than Hitler—but by democratic process instead of by Black Shirtism and blood purges. In pure leadership, he has surpassed the controllers of the Fascist and the Nazi machines, without committing their crimes; and he has not somersaulted overnight (like Hitler) on Communism or any other ism or vital principle. Lord Craigavon's message to the democratic world is that it is possible to be loyal to an idea and yet to retain the continuous loyal support of one's people—and no dictator in Europe or anywhere else, be he Nazi, Fascist, or Communist, can make the same claim. Lord Craigavon died in harness, soldier to the last. Less than three weeks ago he proclaimed his adherence to the point of view which he had always held on unity with the Empire and declared that Eire's neutrality in an Empire war and refusal of her ports to Britain was the logical culmination of the process which he had opposed for many years. Nobody ever doubted where Lord Craigavon stood. On what other leader's tombstone could that epitaph be inscribed? He was Northern Ireland's Rock of Gibraltar. Where will his people find another such?