Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-01-21
IRISH ELECTIONS AND BONDS.

| The municipal elections in Ireland
| give Sim Fcin its expected opportunity
to show what il can do with control of
most of the local government bodies.
Without that it has waxed increasingly
strong. British papers quoted Dublin
manufacturers rs asking, In the recent
controversy over permits for motor lor-
ries, whether they were under the gov
crnInent of Liberty Hall or Dublin Castle.
Now III Dublin the Sinn Feiners will hold
Ill OF the so Corporation seats, while
Labor, which since Larkin and Connolly
has been cooperating with Sim Fem,
has Is. Of Cork's SO seats, the combined
Sim Fein and Labor tickets have carried
30. Belfast has had its go seats filled with
81 Unlonists and 8 Nationalists, but
now Sim Fcin and Labor cut their
representation to 81 and 5, respectively.
How far will Sim Fein now defy Lord
French and the British government? Sim
Fem ahstcntion from the Parliament at
Westminster is a dramatic gesture.
Sim Fein locally in control can do
much to paralyze economic everyday
relations with the British
The new situation will grve British
statesmen the more anxiety IN that the
breach between the central and much OF
the local governments is already SO WIDE.
Popular hostility has made ii necessary
to concentrate local police III central
barracks for their own protection; out
side Ulster life and property have often
been unprotected; civil law IN many
places is replaced with martial law.
The municipal corporations may vote
allegiance To the republic, refuse TO do
any bidding OF the regular Dublin gov
eminent. and by blocking the rates even
produce financial chaos The British can
meet such sharp presentation of the
issue with more force or with "A renewed
effort To appeal for union and better
feeling Some ohservser believe that a
part Of SIM Fem s recent strength derives
from modcratcs who have joined that
they may check its excuses from within
These mon. the tinIonlsts, the National
lists. tho ncutrals, may vet bc rallied
around constructive programme of
compromise and concession. MANY CON
vcrts Ia republicanem have been made
within two wears. and made by remov-
able bitterness The London Times
correspondent thinks that faith IN Eng
land j. bankrupt i.lovd Georges ndw
plan he finds generally regarded az win
dow dressing But an earnest and timely
effort 10 push u may restore the faItb
lost through endless delays
Meanwhile the strength Of the S,nn
Fcm is tdroitly presented IN this country.
We SEC i bond issue of $4,000 600,
authorized by the Dali Eireann August
20 last, hcing floatcd ~ enthusiasts eager
to place their names on % Roll Of Honor
of the Irish Race For the politicians
who exploit Tins enthusiasm for their
base ends We can have nothing but con
drmnation We know we'll that no love
u Ireland has led many Senators to
approve Of "self-determination for its
people and many Mayors 70 offer the
Irish President the freedom of their
cities, but a calculated pandering 10 the
Irish vote Their harefaccd sclhshncss IS
An insult 10 those they pretend 10 aid
But We can applaud the slnccre sentiment
of many, their genuine hope for a more
contcntcd, prosperous future for Ireland
and wish that Anglo-Irish statesman
ship would soon give scope for its express
sion in manner free from racial or
religious animosities New York Even
ing Post