Evening star., 1934-02-11

them friends. "As far as we are con-
cerned," he said, the door will never
be closed to an honorable settlement" :"
Next day De Valera in an interview
waved the gesture aside with studied
scorn. He said the land annuities
belonged to the Irish people and until
Britain recognized that fact "a settle
ment is impossible" AS to partition,
that was "a crime committed by
British statesmen" and until it was
Cancelled settlement was equally out
Of the question.
Nor, indeed, does he conceal the
fact that he wants no resumption Of
friendly relations. He claims that be-
fore his Government reaches the end
of its term of Office the Irish Free
State will be self-sufficient state in
dependent of all external trade. There
will be no exports. but on the other
hand there will be no imports. Ninety
millions Of external trade, almost en-
tirely carried on with Great Britain,
will be wiped out, but on the other
hand 1t is assumed that the impulse
tc domestic trade will be such that
the general prosperity of the popula-
LIuu WILL DC INCREASED.
x r
In pursuit of the isolationist goal.
prohibitive tariffs are being put on
everything that is imported and that
can be produced at home, no matter
at what cost to the consumer. Behind
the insurmountable walls of these
tariffs every kind of manufacture is
being stimulated to make the Free
State industrially self-contained. The
latest additions to home production
are cotton yarns, cotton piece goods,
glass, electrical goods. 1inoleum, pot
terry, etc. Even the dependence on
coal from Wales is TO be overcome by
the development Of peat and the ex-
traction of fuel spirit from potatoes.
All of this, of course, Is hailed with
delight by the Irish manufacturers.
who have only to ask for a tariff to
get it. They find competition magic
ally wiped out, monopoly handed to
them on plate by the government
and the art of business reduced, not
to efficient production. but to skillful
lobbying for more protection. Not
that protection against goods is
enough. They are now demanding
that goods must be not only made in
Ireland. but by Irishmen through
Irish-owned concerns.
De Valera tells his people that
henceforth the British market has no
value for the Irish farmer. For the
time being the consuming public Is
getting the benefit of cheap food, for
the butter, bacon. beef. etc, which
used to find their way to England have
to be thrown On the market at home
az any price they will fetch. Faced
with the loss of his external market
and with the rising price of manu-
factures. the position Of the farmer is
the rock on which De Valera's resolu-
ton may come to grief. The farmer
Is being temporarily helped by the
transfer to him Of the land annunities,
but this has already been discounted
and the payment of rates and taxes Is
in arrears on q scale which threatens
the whole financial structure.
This is not the only dragon in the
Presidents path. The first phase Of
his policy-a total political and eco
nomic divorce from England and in
dustrial -sufflciency for Ireland
runs counter with the other phase, the
union of the Free State and Ulster.
That union, in every way desirable,
might be achieved with an Ireland on
terms with England. It Is not prac-
tical politics with Ireland at eco
nomic war with England. for North
ern Ireland's trade interests with
England are too important to be sac
riflced.
It Is these considerations which
make 1t doubtful whether De Valera's
policy will prevail In the long run. He
has powerful forces behind him-the
youth of Ireland and all the ancient
animus against England. But he had
also powerful forces against him. Not
much less than half the population
is opposed to his isolationist policy.
And still more formidable are the
economic facts. Irish trade Is I'M
portant to England. English trade Is
still more important TO Ireland.
(Copyrtsht 1934J