The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland. N.Z. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1927. POLITICAL IRISH STEW

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 121, 12 August 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland. N.Z. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1927. POLITICAL IRISH STEW

IT is, perhaps, not the least of the benefits of an Irish election that the results, one way or the other, will never make an end to political fighting. And onlookers from a distance may take an interest in the strife on the same principle as that which animated the overseas descendant of an Irishman on visiting the Derry home of his ancestors. There was a lively fight going on in the main street of the village when the tourist arrived. He watched it for a moment or two and then, politely addressing a spectator, wistfully asked: “Is this a private fight or can anyone join in?”

There is as much scope as ever for strife in Irish politics. In the Parliament of the Free State—known (as ’tis said) in the language of angels as Dail Eireann—there are eight different parties, each one feeling sure that it is right and perfectly certain that all the others are wrong. Behind them, as of old, there is a great deal of emotionalism and community shrieking. The general elections in June last did not align the strength of these parties in proportions likely to make for political peace arid Parliamentary progress. The Government or Cumann na n Gaedheal was deprived of a safe working majority. Before the election it had sixty seats in the Dail, but after the poll it was left with only forty-six seats, or two more than the number won by the Republicans (Fianna Fail). The Labour Party, which had won golden opinions for its work as the Opposition in the Dail, was given twenty-two seats—a gain of seven. The state of the other parties does not really matter much in the game of Irish politics, and thus need not be detailed. Perhaps it was not surprising that the Government should have received (to quote the homely phrase of an Irish commentator) so hard “a smack on the gob.” It had been in office for nearly five years, and had tried very successfully always to do the right thing by and for the Irish Free State. Of course, it frequently did the right thing in the wrong way. Its worst fault was zeal in quelling factional disorder and collecting taxes — two administrative virtues which make other than Irishmen wish to bring down the Government. As against the Government’s record and its election fate the success of Fianna Fail exceeded the most optimistic expectation. Doubtless this result was due to the fact that the election was fought on a new register, which enfranchised large numbers of young men and women whose callow enthusiasm for emotional causes was greater than their political wisdom. It was never anticipated, however, that Mr. De Valera’s party would attempt to obtain administrative office. The lion in the path was the oath of allegiance to King George. It is now reported from Dublin that Fianna Fail will take the oath with mental reservations, this being nothing more or better than its acceptance as an empty formula. It seems rather a poor foundation for a coalition with the sturdy and sincere Labour Party for the purpose of forming an administration. So, Southern Ireland is again in the throes of a political crisis. Since wise men abstain from prophecies in Irish affairs, we may leave the new development in the Dail with a prediction that an empty formula will not do much good for the Irish Free State.