Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-06
Will Ireland Change Pilots?


army. They are specializing as to what
will happen when Mr.. Cosgrave asks
the country for renewal of confidence
Mr.. de Valeras Fianna Fail party,
which lost two by-elections a couple of
years ago, retained a seat in Longford-
Westmeath last year and won the Labor
seat in Kildare last month. Making
due allowance for certain cross currents
which influenced the electors in Kill
dare, the winning of that seat by
Fianna Fail nevertheless does indicate
that the public is thinking in terms Of
change of government.
Mr.. Cosgrave has been head Of the
Free State government since 1922 and
he has steered the ship of state with
skill, but no government in any land
can last forever, not even in Ireland I
Ten years Of Office by any government
Is abnormal in Europe and Ireland Is
a European country.
While President Cosgrave and his COL
leagues can claim that far from being
the most distressful country that ever
yet was SEEN" the Irish Free State is
relatively better off than most coun-
tries in the world today, the long term
Of Office OF this government Is a dis
advantage in a general election. Every
government has to do unpopular things
from time to time, and the Free State
government is no exception.
Back Hydro Electric Plan.
It faced and overcame all opposition
to the hydro-electric scheme on the
quite different sort of opposition in
connection with the administration of
that scheme. Old opponents say, I'VE
told you So" and new opponents criti-
cite the minister of industry and COM
merce for his attitude on the scheme
All admit that the. scheme itself is
sound from an engineering point of
view, and the minister maintains that
his drastic action in dealing with the
supply board became necessary in the
interest Of the financial success of the
administration. The discussion has
been a disturbing influence in Irish
politics.
In its tariff policy the government
has offended some people by going too
far and others by not going far enough.
1t is praised and blamed by different
sections Of the community for its
policy on the use of the Irish language
in Irish education, and its many
schemes for the improvement of Irish
agriculture and Irish industry have
alienated some supporters while secur-
ing the adhesion of others. 1t has
pursued a cautious policy in finance
and established the credit of the state
on firm basis as long as English
credit holds, but its caution Is con-
demned by sections Of the people who
thought that when Ireland got home
rule it would be land flowing with
milk and honey.
Ireland today is a happy. carefree
land, but it has unsolved problems and
unsatisfied ambitions, and there is a
very large section of its people who
would vote for a change of government
tomorrow morning If they were sure
that the change would bring no violent
conflict with Great Britain or Northern
Ireland 1t is this element Of fear
which makes any prediction of the re-
/ suit of the next general election a
matter of doubt
In the present Parliament Cumann
ma Gnaedheal. the government party,
has 65 members. Fianna Fail Mr.. de
Valeras party Sc; Labor. II. and
various other parties, 20. The elements
represented by Sim Fem and the Irish
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