The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1932. IN IRELAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 June 1932, Page 5

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1932. IN IRELAND.

Thk position in Ireland at the end of last month was outlined by a leading E'ngl.sli newspaper, in the course of which it was stated that the one positive force that brought'Mr de Valera into office was the uprising of the Gael. Having seated him on the tin one, it will expect him to direct his policy in accordance with the views of the resin gent Gael. .Now the resurgent Gael is much more, interested in Ireland’s domestic affairs thaii in foreign policy. The fuss about the Oath proceeds chiefly from Mr de Valera’s personal peculiarities. As to the land annuities the Gael no doubt approves Ireland’s refusal to pay them to England, but his ideal is that the farmer should not pay them at all. What chiefly interests the Gael is that by a dividing up of the land or by other means lie should be put again in possession of the wealth of Ireland which is his by right. The Communists have, of course, a simple gnd efficient plan adapted to modem conditions fop giving effect to this wish, Mr de Valpra does nqt approve of the Communists’ plan but would achieve the desired end by a diffusion of property and reversion to an economy on Christian principles. There is some doubt as to whether his ideal, which entails decentralisation and reliance on local initiative, can be achieved by edicts issued *froin President de Valera’s central office. Who lives will see. Meanwhile there are points to be noted: (1) Mr Cosgrave and his lieutenants, themselves good Gaels, had not been long in office before they came to. be classed as allies and a gen to of the Saxon. Does the < same fate, await Mr de Valera? (2) The Catholic Church is in a very embarrassing position. The resurgent Gael claims to be the only good Catholic. But the Church is conservatve and a ! supporter of property. It knows that | Communism seeks to make, use of the . Gaelic wardery, “Undo the conquest.” It is slightly nervous about an founded on Catholic principles as in-) terpreted by lay theologians like Mr de Valera and Professor O’Rahilly. , At the same time the Hierarchy has to submit to the humiliation of seeing a revival of the power and popularity of organsntions which it had discouraged or condemned. (3) In spite of the Church’s coldness the resurgent Gael is now flushed with victory. Nothing fiucceeds like success in Ireland. Mr do Valera’s bold words and the fact that no ill consequences have immediately followed suffice to convince many of the timid that after all they were wrong in thinking Mr Cosgrave necessary for their preservation. They feel now that they might safely have indulged their nationalist instincts further and that Mr Cosgrave, allowed himself to be influenced far too much by the views of the Anglo-Irish. Hence an election held to-day would probably give Mr de Valera a large, majority. But there is another aspect of the situation. The uprising of the Gael is the natural outcome of Irish history, yet it could hardly have assumed its present importance but for Mr de> Valera’s extraordinary personality, It is hardly an exaggeration to say that no one in Ireland except Mr de Valera is to-day genuinely interested in the question of the Oath. But for Mr de Valera the subject has always had a strange fascination. It is also probably true that no leader blit Mr de Valera could have put forward the annuities claim. Certainly no one but a man who took his political ideas from America could claim, as Mr de Valera does, that the whole Press and people ought to be regimented behind him to support a claim which his predecessor in office, had denounced as bad in law and honour.