THE IRISH BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17295, 20 October 1919, Page 8

THE IRISH BILL.

! CABINET'S HEAVY TASK. ; | IRELAND IN BITTER MOOD. LONDON. Oct. 9. The Government's friends report that members of the Cabinet are sinking their differences on the Irish question, and are determined to produce a workable measure. The Government "believes that the Sinn Fein is steadily losing its grip, and would not win a heavy preponderance of seats in the Irish Parliament. Its advisers state" that Ireland is swinging again towards a constitutional move ment, and that therefore a federal scheme temporarily excluding Ulster, but 'giving each county the right to vote itself into the Irish Parliament, would be accept The _ special correspondent of the Loudon Times writes that the present poetical condition of Ireland is not permanent but is acute. 'Ibis i* due ■„ the reaction from war unrest upon a discontented and excitable people, the stoppage of emi"i,|. tion, the postponement of self-government and a conviction of British '•perfidy." Never has the antagonism between the North and South appeared so obdurate and never have the co-operative for* e* been so weak. But the position should improve. The correspondent add- that the economic unity of Ireland is. lu-. oniiii-' mote unanswerable. The jiieat irrnw'tli ,~f industry in Ulster requires I'm its eouili. hritim the ever-increasing in-net ration of the agricultural South, whilst the distributing trade of Belfast is becoming more dependent on the development of the rest of the island. Many of the younger business men are learning to regard the self-governing of Ireland less bitterly than their lathers The strength of Sir Reward Carson's move ment lies with the elder generation. Nationalist opinion remains largely tinder the dominance of Sinn Feiiiisni Indeed, only men of courage and character I dare to express moderate views.