IRISH POLITICS

Evening Star, Issue 19634, 13 August 1927, Page 6

IRISH POLITICS

A COALITION PROBABLE NATIONAL LEAGUE TO SUPPORT LABOR. (British Official News.) Press Association —By 'Wireless —Copyright RUGBY, August 12. (Received August 13, at noon.) Reports from Dublin state that Captain Redmond’s National League Party of seven members this afternoon decided to support Labor, and when a division is taken it seems probable that the Government will be defeated. The newspapers state that Sir Cosgrave’s administration will, in this event, bo succeeded by a Coalition composed of Labor and the National League, which would have the support of Do Valera’s party. Mr Cosgravc has displayed a magnanimous attitude towards the new Opposition. In an interview he stated: “I. am very pleased that the Fianna Fail deputies arc coming into the Dail. It is the best thing that has happened during the last live years.” Captain Redmond said that the action of Do Valera and his party in taking the oath was an immense gain to the cause on constitutional grounds. IRISH PARTIES. The Dublin correspondent of ‘The Times ’ wrote on the eve of tho elections : “There is no ‘intellectual Socialism 1 iu tho Free State. With the exception of Messrs Thomas Johnson and R. J. P. Mortinshed, both of whom graduated as trade union officials, all the members of tho Labor Party arc orthodox; trade unionists, wlio.se outlook is as narrow as that of the particular unions to which they belong. Air Johnson, who, during the lifetime of tho last Dail. carried the whole Opposition on his .shoulders, is popular with all parties, though he is inclined to doctrinaire views; but his work in Dail Eirarin has never received the public appreciation which it deserves. As a political force the Labor Par tv lias yet to win its spurs. “Captain Redmond (National League) is making a special effort to gain tho support of ex-servieo mpn. . . . Captain Redmond’s policy at present is largely negative; in constructive polities bis programme is parallel with that of the Government. Tho National League, which includes Roman Catholics and Protestants among its candidates, might bo described as an Imperialist party, which does not desire to expand the dominion status of tho Free .State, and is quite satisfied with its place in the British Empire. It suffers chiefly from lack of personality.”