CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 249, 18 September 1933, Page 8

CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

3.15 P.M. EDITION

UNITED IRELAND PARTY

CRITICISM OF PREMIER

(United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received (September 18, 11.30 a.nt. LONDON, Sept. 17. 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 the presence ot General O’Duffy, Mr W. T. Oosgrave, Mr J. McDermott and Mr J. Dillon. An orderly crowd from six counties included many ex-servicemen. Dean Cashel wrote saying that lie had finished with politics, because all must combine to save the nation.

General O’Duffy expressed hope for a. speedy national re-union and said the Republicans gave careful lip service to an ideal which they were careful not to fulfil, their methods of seeking peace being to plunge Ireland into an external quarrel. If Ireland could get rid of the Bedlam generalissimo a.nd the incompetent staff and end the waste of livelihood and the best material it would be the best way to win. The United Party would lend the farmers £2,000,000 for stock if elected.

It was clear that Mr de Valera was demanding a dictatorship. Let him take warning. He could not illegalise, by his own fiat, things that were inherently lawful. If he attempted to pervert law or abolish a law-abid-ing movement on tire pretext of political danger his Government would be speedily and sharply ended. Mr (Josgrave declared that the economic war was maintained as the Government’s greatest'political asset. The United Party advocated the opening of external markets, competing in the British market with other countries. There was nothing un-Irish in selling produce to Britain. Mr de Valera liad ruined Ireland as the result of engineering an illegal and 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 who were not paying their rates. The Government had struck the first blow in the civil war in bringing the Waterford farmers before the Military Tribunal. Its mad policy had reduced the farmer to a sorry position. Mr McDermott and Mr Dillon also spoke. Mr Norton ,the Labour leader, gave the Kildare constitutional details of the Labour counter-fusion agreement with the Government, which he endorsed. Mr de Valera had guaranteed the provision of widows’ and orphans’ pensions, financial assistance for the unemployed and increased house building, also consultations with Labour regarding higher wages on relief schemes and all projected legislation. Labour was not bartering its identity. The arrangement would permit a united front against Britain’s challenge to Ireland’s independence.