IRELAND

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 423, 6 January 1933, Page 4

IRELAND

The Irish crisis has come to a head with dramatic suddenness. Although the Labour party, which holds the balance of power in the Dail, has been threatening President de Valera with the withdrawal of its support unless he altered his decision to "cut" the civil servants' salaries, it is more than likely that the President's hurried appeal to the country has been prompted by a desire to forestall a National Government, the formation of which was being attempted by the Farmers' and Cosgrave parties. No doubt Mr. de Valera sees that the safer policy would be to rush an election before the Nationalists have time to organise. It has been repeatedly suggested lately that the days of the de Valera-Labour Administration were numbered, and the position created by the quarrel with Britain must have become well-night intolerable. The life of the Government has been hanging by a thread, and with a hostile Senate to adcl to' his selfmade worries the truculent President must have been having a very unhappy time of it. When, on November 14; Mr.°W. T. Cosgrave moved a resolution formally censuring the Government ''for pursuing a policy which has caused grievous' injury . to the agriculture indu'stry, serious

damage to the export trade of the country, heavy losses to the community and gravely increased unemployment," it was defeated by 75 votes to 70, Labour alone supporting the Government. In submitting his motion, Mr. Cosgrave said that as a result of the Government's policy, especially the failure to take advantage of the Ottawa Conference, the Free State was economically outcast and other countries less favourably situated were - taking advantage of herfolly. Farmers, traders, shop keepers, manufacturers, workers and even the unemployed, were all involved in the struggle The raihvays were losing between £12,000 and £14;000 every week on the cattle trade alone, and nothing intelligent was being done to save them. This indictment, this description of the Free State's plight, it shoiild be noted, comes from no anti-Irish "alien" source. It was part of a speech delivered in the Dail. It is an illuminating description of the folly of forcing a quarrel on Ir eland' s best customer. If only part of what Mr. Cosgrave said were true — though ' other accounts suggest what he said was only part of the truth — it can readily be understood why a movement should have been started ih Dublin to found a National Government to deal with a situation grown desperate. Ireland's history of the past few months has been tragic. From being one of the most prosperous countries 'in the world she has been plunged into a crisis which has struck at every part of her economic life. The dying fires of ancient grievances have been fanned ' into a dangerous flame once more, and the country will indeed be fortunate if it escapes ^ internal ' troubles • of a graver sort than have already occurred. • x .