Thumb-nail Sketch Of Eire's Politics

Chronicle (Levin), 21 February 1948, Page 5

Thumb-nail Sketch Of Eire's Politics

, .. . • ^ . — . y. . . LONDON, Feb. 20. Eire's new Prime Minister, Mr. John Costello, is described as "one of the darkest horses that ever appeared in a raee for a premiership. " Althougii he has been a member of the lrisii Parliament for 21 years, hg has never been ^ regarded as anything more than a safe lawj-er politician whose highest ambition would have been a iude-e-slijp. J s He was first elected to the Dail in 1927 and was Attorney-Heneral in Mr. Cosgrave's Oovernment. His speoches always bore the hall mark of an acute «legal mind. His choice for position of Prime Minister, says the Daily Herald, is partly the outcome of the exigencies of coalition-making and partly due to wliat happened in the Irish. civil war. General Alulcaliy, leader of the Fme Gael, had an obvious claim to the Premiership but bitter memories of the civil war are very much alive among the older generation. The Republicans w ould never forget Gen. Alnlcahy as the chief of the army which took the field against, them and was a member of the Goverament which executed prominent RepublicanSi It was part of the bargain strticic between General Mulcaliy 's Fine Gael and Mr. MacBride's CJan Xa Poblachta, when thev agreed to join forces against Mr. De Malera, that Ge'neral Mulcahy should stand down and some other member of his party who had taken no part xn the civil war, should be nominated as Premier. The choice fell on Mr. Costello who proved acceptable alsq to Labonr and Farmers. While liicking Mr. De Valera's magnetic personality and having none ot Mr. .Tames DiJlon's flamboyant eioqu--euce, Mr. Costello is regarded as an essentially "safe" politician who is never b'kely to do anything spectaeular much less revoluntionary. Under his leadership Alr. MacBride will not be able to carry out his threat toa " break the linlt with sterling, " .nor will Labour succeed in carrying out its policy of natio'naiisation.