SITUATION IN IRELAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18192, 11 September 1922, Page 6

SITUATION IN IRELAND.

Although a defiant minority in Ireland is still in arms against the Free State, and war is consuming the energies of the chosen representatives of a largo majority of the people, the Dail Eiroaun has assembled, a now President has* been formally elected, and the gaps in the Provisional (Government have been filled. It has yet to be seen whether under the presidency of Mr. W. T. Cosgravo the executive will display the same oourago and driving force as under Mr. Griffith and Mr. Collins, but it would bo sheer pessimism to assume that with tho deaths of these two loaders the will to restore law and order and to establish constitutional government has been dissipated or weakened. Mr. Cosgrave and a number of the members of his Cabinet were lieutenants of the dead leaders, and the opinion of the country is just as much behind them as it was behind those by whom they were obscured. The President's speech contained nothing to suggest hesitancy or weakening of purpose. He declared that the policy of the Government was to carry out the terms of the treaty, assert the authority of Parliament, and restore law and order. Recent messages suggested that the Labour Party, which consists of 17 members, most, if not all, of whom are supporters of the treaty, had threatened to resign unless the Dail was called together and that it intended to press for a compromise with the rebels if the revolt was not crushed. "No compromise" appears to be Mr. Cosgrave's slogan. Whatever influence the Labour Party has, it has* not sufficient voting power to shake the Government. In any case the anti-treaty party has for the present eliminated itself as a political unit. For reasons that are obvious, only one of its members appeared in the Dail. Thus the pro-treaty party will practically be the Parliament until the irresponsible minority returns to reason and relinquishes a struggle that already has cost Ireland far too much. Apart from the loss of life and economic stress which the civil war has caused, it has prevented Ireland from adopting the Constitution framed under the terms of the treaty. The Free State Parliament was elected in terms of the draft, but there is not yet a Senate and, of course, the executive is merely a provisional Cabinet not ■ elected in accordance with the method proposed in the draft constitution. Thus before the real task of government can be attacked in Ireland, much preliminary work will have to be accomplished. All this, however, will probably be deferred until the strife is ended. Unfortunately the usual consequences of war are creating serious problems for the executive, which must continue so long as the rebels are in the field.