IRELAND'S DELIVERANCE.
The situation in the. Irish Free State, so far 1 as recent cablegrams have disclosed it, is of. a nature ■-■ ; to gratify everyone who has sympathy with Ireland and would welco.<nc the ending of her troubles. It" certainly' appears that •the power of the rebel leaders is definitely broken, and De Valeria has practically thrown up the sponge. One after another the prominent men among the rebels have been captured or killed and the rank and file have become demoralised Surely the end is in sight, and the whole World will soon be able to rejoice with Jrdland upon her deliverance from hef sore troubles. But one thing lias often perplexed outsiders. Why has this consummation been so long delayed? Again and again we have been assured that the settlement was acceptable to the - bulk of the Irish people, who eagerly desire peace, and an overwhelming majority of whom (as the elections last June showed) are loyal to the Free Statj Government. Estimates of the insurgents' strength vary considerably, but 0.11 agree that it would be an exaggeration to say that the Republicans number 10 per cent, of the j opulation. How, | then, has it come about that an insignificant minority against whom are arrayed the weight of public opinion and the organised forces of the Government has been able to hold out for so long? The phenomenon seems inex; plicable. It would bo incredible if it had not actually occurred. Some interesting light is thrown on the question by an article in the last issue of the "Round Table" from the pen of an Irish " Eye-witness." The writer is a staunch supporter of the Frep State Government, but does not hold it guiltless of mistakes. It has, he says, been slow to face essentials, and has wasted time on trivialities such as the colour of pillar-boxes. In making appointments it has shown too little regard for efficiency and too much for services rendered or sjfferings endured in the struggle against Britain. This has been particularly roticeable in the army. Many officers who had been officers in British regiments during the war offered their services, only, in most cases, to be rebuffed.. Commissions were granted to inexperienced, uneducated lads who had been "out" in the days of Sinn F.vin. "The result is absolute lack of discipline and an inefficient army." These blr.nders, though natural and excusable, have un tloubtedly given Republican resistance a longer lease of life. But the author insists that the irregulars have been helped to an even greater degree by the absence of any sense of civic responsibility among the Irish themselves. He attributes this' to the British regime, which did not encourage them to develop this quality, and which indeed made it impossible for them to do so. Be that as it may, while they support the Government in theory they have been backward in rendering it onv active assistance. The suppression cf the rebellion is *.he Government's affair, not theirs; let the Government get its own information and enforce its own authority. The typical point of view is summed up in the words:
"As long as lam not hurt'it docs not matter about my neighbours; let the Government look after them." Here again this attitude is natural enough, because anyone who aids the Government runs the risk of being "shot up" by the rebels. But it has played directly into the hands of the Republicans. The author speaks rather bitterly of the "apathy and unselfishness of the people," which allowed the rebels to persist in their defiance. But we may assume that at last they impelled the Gsvernment to adopt the more vigorous policy and take the more drastic measures which have borne fruit.
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Northern Advocate, 4 May 1923, Page 4
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621IRELAND'S DELIVERANCE. Northern Advocate, 4 May 1923, Page 4
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