THE RIFT IN THE NATIONALIST LUTE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 721, 21 January 1910, Page 5

THE RIFT IN THE NATIONALIST LUTE.

MR. O'BRIEN .RE-ENTERS THE '. - ARENA. -. Two events:- aro''. Recorded - - in. to-day's cablegrams" which "will"."."".hardlybo : an occasion; for V:joy-, in.';,-tho;;camp tfofV Mr.' Redmond's Irish Nationalists. - One is the rapudiation by the Chief Liberal Whip of the idea that an independent'. Parliament for, Ireland ;wds .'promised by - the ■ Primo : Minister . when .hp ' made, his Albert Hall "assurance"—an vi utterance', ' which', ' the. Redmondites had interpreted .'as .meaning "full ,GladstonianV ; ' H6mojv Eulo." -' ..The other.. event,: of lessor importance but oi .much ■ import to/ thfc internal l working of tho Nationalist party, is . the return to politics of Mr; ' Wm., O'Bifien, who,; after !an anti-Redmondite : campaign;.';., again heads the poll in Cork City. No doubt tho:; speechby: the. iChief/;Liberal':'.Whip : will-' provido .Mr. O'Brien with much powder . and.- shot; in view of Mr. mond's joyful acceptance of, the."pledgo" now repudiated.'!' ' y .'• • • Mr. William O'Bjieri, -who includes!- in ■ his ■ record ;as.;an .IrishNationaliSt.--i nine prosecutions: and;;imprisonment for,-over two years, has an. old feud with the-Red-mondites. -It was .believed iii. ; 1908. that ' a;; reconciliation • had be'eia effected,but early last" ye<jj'.Mr'..o'Bri(Sn' resigned'his : seat for Cork City, and ; was. succeeded' byMr; Maurice .'Healy ;(Indepe'ndent;Nationalist), who: has now' been -. ; ' ; . .In;;his'..letter iesigning' :: his ; scat last .year,; Mr'.; O'Brien■: indicated; that the causp was "recorit developments,- notably the defection of no fewei' than five. Cork members of Parliament,;;': including my own. eolleagtto in;;tho representation-: of ' Cork City." The .colleague:'-: referred ,to (Mr.' Av: ~ by:-. Cork' City) hatl-«(BCcording 'to ■ < f The:. Times":) joined .the Redmondites, 'arid it was under-' stood ' that "Mr.:-O'Brien'sMetter .implied a similar tendency on" the':, part, of -four Cork county: members, Messrs.': Crean, Gilhooly, Sheehati,'. and Barry.; ■ . Another cause of Mr.; O'Brien's resignation ..was stated; to. be the .action; of .the Irish'party' in-fofmally 'ttisapproying' of his:. '.'All; for,* rlrelahd ; : I<eaguo." - This league was'iintehded.'.to include Home Rulers,' Reformers, and,;. indeed, , all .Irishm'eii';;who, ::;apart from work for Ireland.'^:. v:. '?

: :Tho '.retirement "of''Mr. |j,o'Brien was hailed by''Mr.' John; Redmond, -Mr. -V.-.Vi O'Connor, and other Redniondites as ,the end! of dissentionm therdnks of the Irish- party;; Jlr. O'Connor declared that anightmara had been removed, as other split; would; be. .appalling..; Ho ;re : . ferred- to ; Mr. O'Brien s ;retirement' ! as "a sorrowful" episodo in .tho,life and the career . of. ■a- great:. Irishman, who V had' been responsible for;division, for'-.tho last two or three years." . . . •' ■. Naturally, the Eedniondites cannot' bo. expected to enthuse, over the re-entry .of Mr. 'O'Brien ',into .politics."Sinn, Fein," the organ of ..the Sinn/Fein sttty '(which stands for a self-contained Ireland, and against;representation at; Westminster! ■ • thinks that,. while not- declaring himself a Sinn Feiner, Mr.- O'Brien will . find himself • largely" : .in',! syrii'pathy ■: with >; the official policy of the Sinn Fein party.

NEW ZEALAND INTEREST IN THE ELECTIONS. ,- As evidence . of' the unusual' 1 interest whicli fa'.being.: taken -by thfc people : of this parliamentary elections at Home, tho' Prime Minister (Sir. Joseph 3Yard),: speaking to a' representative ; of :TitE Domjxiox 'yesterday,' mentioned that! lie had been asked to have progress .reports mitted to the telegraph .offices, in the remote districts ' ofthe .country, ;.. _;.This, however, ho was unable to do, as,he did not consider it practicable.