DE VALERA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 94, 14 January 1918, Page 6

DE VALERA

THE STORMY PETREL OF SINN FEIN

Eamonn de Valera, says. the "Chicago Tribune," is most frequently described nowadays by others than his own following as "the Stormy Petrel of Sinn Fein." Even before De Valera had won his sensational election victory in East Clare, where he captured for Sinn Fein by a majority of 2975 the seat that the late Major William Redmond, a popular hero, had held for the Nationalists, it had been predicted that this perfervid advocate of Irish republicanism pure and 'simple would soon supersede, the venerable Count Plunkett as leader of the "Ourselves Alone" Party. This on the ground that extreme movements always advance at the gait of the quickest marchers.

Now that in direct consequence of Dr Valera's triumph following the victories of Sinn Feiners in South Longford and North Roscommon there is talk that the Irish Nationalist Party may resign in a body and let the country as a whole express its opinion on the Sinn Fein policy, Count PlunkeU's supersession by his younger comrade is virtually certain. That kindly, elderly insurrectionist simply cannot stand the pace set by Eamonn do Valera, the darling of the Jacobins of to-day in Ireland. De Valera will not even consider what in England is thought the Count's one cogent idea of an independent Sinn Fein representation at the world conference which is to endeavour to establish firmly the foundations of peace after the World War.

De Valera's idea is that of an entirely independent Ireland, the world forgetting if not by the world forgot. In the contest that resulted in Eamonn de' Valera's being elected to represent East Clare in the Imperial Parliament the Sinn Feiners made no secret of their aims. They are out, in the first place, to smash constitutionalism, for which the Parliamentary Party stands: and. in the second place, to wage war until, as they themselves have put it, "sovereign independence has been won by Ireland." They claim, and the result of the last three elections show's that there is some foundation for their claim, to be the strongest political party now in Ireland. Unrepresented by choice at the Irish Convention, they will decline to be bound by any decision at which it inav arrive.

Eamonn de Valera, the new Republican chief, was one of the few active Sinn Fein leaders who escaped the penalty of death after the Easter Week rising in Dublin in 1915, where in tho disposition of battle he was commandant of the ringside area. As picturesque a figure as the romantic Countess Markievicz, he was condemned, like, her, to penal servitude for life, and, like her. released in the general amuestv to Sinn Fein prisoners.

De Valera's Irish patriotism appears to be all the more intense by reason of the fact that he was born in New York, and that his father. Vivian de Valera, was a Spaniard. His mother, however, whose maiden name was Kate Coll, came from County Limerick. America did not hold Eamonn long, as at the age of two he was taken to Ireland and dwelt with his mother's folk. As he grew into boyhood ho took every advantage of the somewhat limited schooling available, and afterwards went to Blackrock College, where ho was esteemed as much for his athletics as his scholarship. From Blackrock he gained a mathematical science scholarship for the National University. Mathematics is not romantic, but it had an overpowering attraction for the romantic Do Valera.

Takes up the Irish. A more violent passion than mathematics, however, seized upon him when he took up the study of the Gaelic tongue. It became with him an obsession, which was not lessened by his marriage in IDIO to Miss S. O'Flanmgan, one of the most capable and enthusiastic propagandist members of the Gaelic League. De Valera joined the Irish Volunteers when they were hrst. formed, and later, when the split occurred, took sides with the mtransiecants against the constitutional hody, the I N V., which followed John Redmond. Gaelic was then put aside as a central interest and De Valera look up military matters with the fiercest cmvoy. A friend and pupil of Ins, one of the most distinguished of the younger Dublin poets, says of De \ alera at this time: "He mastered all the science of war in a very few months. He used to discuss military operations with me with the eagerness of a child, and at home he would spend hours studying tactics with chessmen as soldiers. The same friend adds:_ "Personally, Eamonn is the most chiid-like and urbane of men. I could not conceive him hurting anything or anvono wantonly. Like all the other leaders nurtured in Gaelic League idealism' Ireland is to him not so much a country as a religion, for which a man should shrink from no sacrifice. Eamonn de Valera is thirty-four years of a"c In apuearance he has the ivory sallowness and deep, passionate eyes of his Spanish descent He is very tall, very muscular, and full of nervous vitality. _______