IRISH FREE STATE

Evening Star, Issue 21519, 18 September 1933, Page 10

IRISH FREE STATE

SPEECH BY MR DE VALERA GOVERNMENT’S POLICY DEFENDED Pre*s Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, September 17. Mr De Valera, addressing 20,000 people at Cork, said that the Government and the Labourites had agreed on all the mam issues of public policy likely to arise in a lifetime. The present Dail was, standing together to assert the authority of the people and to build up a stable and just economic system. Minor difficulties between them would be set aside in order to work wholeheartedly together to bring, the nation through the dangers threatening its existence. Condemning Republican raids on hotels .selling British beer, he said that only in “Bedlam’’ could a parallel be found for the madness which necessitated the Government to defend itself on the one hand from the militarists wanting to compel it to surrender to Britain and on the other from people professing to believe that the Government was not prosecuting an economic war with sufficient vigour, THE UNITED IRELAND PARTY CAMPAIGN OPENED. LONDON, September 17. (Received September 18, at 11.30 a.m.) The United Ireland Party opened its campaign at Thurles with a parade of the National Guard and Blue Shirts carrying the Free State tricolour in tho presence of General O’Duffy, Mr Cosgrave, Mr M'Dermott, and Mr Dillon. An orderly crowd from six counties included many ex-servicemen. Dean Cashel wrote saying that he had finished with politics because all must combine to save the nation. General O’Duffy expressed the hope for a speedy national reunion. He said the Republicans gave careful lip service to an ideal which they were careful not to fulfil, their methods in seeking peace being to plunge Ireland into an external quarrel. The United Party would lend farmers £2,000,000 for stock if elected. HOPES OF PEACE POPE’S GOOD OFFICES REPORTED. LONDON, September 17. (Received September 18,'at 11.30 a.m.) The Dublin correspondent of the ‘ Empire News,’ referring to Mr M'Dermott’s statement that a “ high authority had counselled a. settlement of the land annuities dispute,” declared: “ The personage meant is the Pope. Dr Paschal, Robinson (Papal representative at Dublin) has frequently consulted the Pope in this connection, and ho recently interviewed tho Primate of Ireland. Mr M'Dermott’s pronouncement has encouraged hopes that peace is assured, as with the Pope’s support it could not fail:” GOVERNMENT'S ACTIONS CONDEMNED MB NORTON EXPLAINS LABOUR’S POLICY. LONDON, September 17. (Received September 18, at 11.50,a.m.) General O’Duffy said it was clear that Mr De Valera was demanding a dictatorship. Let him take warning. He could not illegolise by his own fiat things that were inherently lawful. If he attempted to pervert tho law and abolish a law-abiding movement on the pretext of political danger his Government would be speedily and sharply ended. Mr Cosgrave declared that the economic war was .being maintained as the Government’s greatest political asset. The United Party advocated opening external markets and competing in the British market with other countries. There was nothing un-Irish in selling produce to Britain. Mr De Valera had ruined Ireland as the result of engineering an illegal, dishonest movement by picking a quarrel with Britain, leaving Ireland to pay the cost of his folly. Mr De Valera knew how to encourage disobedience of the law, but was stern with farmers not paying thpir rates. The Government struck the first blow in the civil war in bringing Waterford farmers before a military tribunal. Its mad policy had reduced the farmer to a sorry position. Mr M'Dermott and Mr Dillon also spoke. Mr Norton, the Labour leader, gave Kildare constituents, details of Labour’s counter fusion agreement with the Government, which ho endorsed. Mr Do Valera had guaranteed provision for widows and orphans, financial assistance for unemployed, and increased house building; also consultations with Labour regarding higher wages on relief schemes, and all projected legislation. Labour was not bartering its identify. The arrangement would permit a united front against Britain’s challenge to Ireland’s independence.