The Evening Star SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1923. HOPE FOR IRELAND.

Evening Star, Issue 18256, 21 April 1923, Page 4

The Evening Star SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 1923. HOPE FOR IRELAND.

Ix is a long lane that has no turning, and it would seem that the long Irish lane, which has known little except rancor and sorrow for 800 years, may have a turning at hst, The feud with 'England had reason to be closed, after “ all the implacable ages,” by the treaty made last year. That the treaty did not bring peace immediately has been duo to the malignity of a comparatively small number of Irishmen, who preferred, rather than sec an old feud ended by a reasonable agreement, to turn their swords against their own country’s heart. For a year they have kept Southern Ireland in a state of distraction ; every injury they could wreak on her inis been inflicted ; the Nationalist army has had all it could do to subdue them. But there’ is prospect now of deliverance from those irreconcilahlos. The affray near Clonmel, in the 11 vale of honey,” which they had preferred to malic one of bloodshed', by the brown mountains” which had looked before on tragic as well as peaceful scones in Ireland, promises to make the end of their power for concerted violence. It was more than a farmhouse which the State troops surrounded when they made their surprise attack. Escape among the mountains has proved impracticable for Breen, described as one of the fiercest of the rebels, who might have succeeded Liam Lynch as their chief commander, as well as for Austin Stack and half a, dozen more of the principal leaders of the insurgents. The deadliest gunman in Ireland,, as Breen has been called 1 , will be better in Government hands. Stack, who. had the reparation of being the '‘mystery man” of the rebellion, most concerned with its political side, had apparently become convinced of (ho hopelessness of continuing the Republicans’ struggle before he was made a prisoner. The arch-preacher De Valera is still at largo, and if his talent for disguises helps him to get away to his father’s home in Cuba, or some place ns distant the Free State Government probably will bo more relieved than chagrined by his escape. With all, or almost all, of their active loaders either dead or in prison camps—it is not shown that the Cuban Irishman ever did l anything more than talk—it ,-coins impossible that a [rant ic handful of rebels can make much more resistance to authority. The Papal envoy, Monsignor Luzio, has a clear field for his efforts for peace. The prospect is better for the new Free Stale than it lias been at any time since its inception. It will still have its difficulties before it. Fifteen thousand prisoners on its handfe in themselves make no small problem, New enemies may be made for it if it treats them too harshly, and some old enemies may bo implacable for mischief still if they are released. The demoralising influence of such lawlessness as Ireland has experienced in the last few 'years cannot possibly bo ended in a moment. The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and tho children's teeth aro certain to be on edge. Tha mere material destruction that has been wrought will take years to repair, but happily there is no reason to think that tho cost of it will be beyond tho new dominion’s strength to bear. Taxes will bo heavy, but they need not bo intolerable. • Irish Bepublicans have been swarming to America in the last few months. When affairs have really settled down and the past can be forgotten, if it ever can, a movement in the opposite direction, for the first time in history, may not be too much to expoot. &&&&>% association called tfeg

of the Free State already has proclaimed’ its desire to “ shoe, feed, and smoko Ire-

land ”•—in other words to assist in the development of its agricultural, leather, and tobacco industries—to the tune of twenty million pounds so soon as peace shall reign. There may bo something in the prospect for the Southern Irishmen as well as for their American friends. Ulster also lias somd awkward' problems confronting it. The religious teaching in Stale schools, for which its new Education Bill provides, will not bo the simplest matter to arrange where religious differences are so sharp as in ths North of Ireland, 'the Catholic minority will not be easily satisfied by any scheme which might commend itself to a Protestant Parliament, nor would it be move pleased by a purely secular teaching. But that is a minor difficulty. Tlio best sign of a now spirit in tho North was given when the Ulster Nationalists decided recently to give up tho unprofitable policy which they have followed hitherto of practically boycotting tho Belfast Parliament, If tho parties in the North can learn to work together as one people, the time should not be very distant when North and South will bo able to do so.