The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-30
IRISH SITUATION NOW SHOWS SIGNS
 OF IMPROVEMENT
One Day Strike Will Prove Advantage to Provisional Government-EleCtions
 Called For June
By GEORGE \. BARNES British Parliament Leader Special Wireless Dispatch to The Age
 Herald

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 London, April 29.-The Irish sitr uation shows noticeable improve ment. The elections definitely are called for the beginning of June. The will of the people then will be expressed. It remains to be seen whether the "gunmen" will defy, as they are threatening they will, and try to prevent it's execution.
 It must be remembered, however, that the elections will arm the pro visional government with a proper constitutional mandate under which 1t can make short work of the malig- nant conspiracy of violence which Ireland has had to endure for months. The improvement throughout the past week can directly be attributed to the courage of Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins. The former at Sligo and the latter a Killarney took their lives in their hands, but their courage won a way for them and greatly strengthened their authority.
 The efforts of the Archbishop of Dublin and the Lord Mayor to force a truce between the warning ele- ments utterly failed because the radi calls demanded the establishment of an Irish republic even against the wishes of the Irish people. This was the position of affairs when Collins went to Killarney although 1t was in possession of the irregulars who had blocked the turnpike and torn up the CA11 ,.fNrT1f fy1er fsar obstacles, faced the armed men con temptuously and made his voice heard. Griffith at Sligo defied the trouble makers.
 One-Day Strike
 The one-day strike called as a pro- test against military aggression was satisfactory to the origfnators. Ex- cept for hospital and humane sery- ices. work ceased completely in ths south counties and many of the pub lie offices, including those in Dublin, closed. All sorts of people took ad vantage of the opportunity to make common cause with labor against the gunmen. It was a far different cele- bration than had ben contemplated by the extremists. Southern Ireland was isolated for a day. She also was unemployed and therefore unproduc- tive for day. It was 8 heavy price To pay. However the gain may be worth the price, for the poverty of the opposition to the treaty stood re- vealed as against the overwhelming body of Irish opinion in its favor. It was not a strike against the pro visiona1 government but rather strike to demand such a government and encourage it. It will assist Grif- fifth and Collins to continue to as- sert themselves.
 
 Sympathy with the object of the stoppage has been recorded in reso- lutions adopted by rate payers asso- citations, chambers of commerce, far mers organizations and other unions IS well as by the corporation of Dublin. The Lord Mayor of Dublin had indeed. himself, led in unquaH- fled condemnation of the "bullies of the night" He was supported by big demonstration which is to be followed by another organized for the coming week by the All-Ire- land Rate Payers association. The Dail now is resuming it's sitting;s and these proceedings, past and presI- ent must have far-reaching effec)t upon the deliberations of that bodI. The salutary effect of the ebulli- ton of public opinion indeed already has been evidenced by the prompt arrest in Athlone of the officer and 20 men alleged to be concerned fn last Tuesdays murder of the coml- mander of the Free State forces.