Evening star., 1939-08-06

LONDON.-As European war clouds
rise and disappear beyond the horizon,
Ireland today assumes an importance to
Britain and empire she never held as
crown colony.
For from the Emerald Isles lush green
war much beef, bacon, butter and eggs.
From her, too, in the past she got levies
of Irish troops to fight the empire
battles, supply now believed closed as
Irish independence fourishes.
The problem of insuring the food sup
ply and at the same time defending Ire
land from invasion have occupied the
war Office and the general staff for
the past three years. Its settlement is
still in the ofing.
Britain gave away certain military and
naval rights in the British-Irish treaty
of April, 1899, to obtain closer indus
trial and agricultural cooperation. BY
the treaty England lost admiralty rights
and harbor defenses st Berehaven, Cobb
and Lough Swilly and settled all finan-
cial claims against Ireland for about
$46 300, ,000
The Ireland of song and story, so fixed
In the average Americans mind, is a
different land today in many respects.
Important internal changes have taken
place.
Business Comes to Fore.
A rising business class has replaced
the farming class as the decisive political
factor. In the years since the World
War it has fought for and won inde-
pendence. 1t has gone through peace
full revolution. marked by Eamon de
Valera's rise to power. A third revo-
luton, an industrial one, is now in
progress which points. somewhat falter-
ingly, to financial independence.
But the ancient internal differences,
which for years have marked the little
island across the Irish Sea from Britain,
still exist.
There is still the definite split be-
tween the 26 counties in the south and
the six northern counties, commonly
known as Ulster
The differences between the two sec
constitute formidable barrier to ma
tional solidarity.
Ireland is independent, busily engaged
in wiping out the last trace of British
rule: Ulster is fanatically patriotic to
crown and empire.
Ireland is Overwhelmingly Catholic,
Ulster predominantly Protestant.
The South, despite recent advances. is
agricultural, Ulster is largely industrial
Union Through War Preached.
What of union? Some in the South
say it must come through war. An ex-
pedition north to conquer the western
provinces of Tyrone and Fermanagh is
pet project of the Irish Republican
Armys young bloods. The North, secure
in the Royal Irish Constabulary says
Come ahead and try it,"
Cooler heads on both sides think a
complete reconciliation between Great
Britain and Ireland would be the first
step toward union. They point out that
such an agreement would rob the North
of its feeling that as long as the South
and Britain are enemies there can be no
union.
listers side of the argument might
be epitomized this way:
why should we join them? Our in
dustries don't depend on them, our poll
tics are different and our religions are
not alike. Economically we wouldn't
gain bit.
What are listers economic sprom-
lens? For one our shipbuilding indus
try. 1t used to be great, today it has de-
teriorated to almost nothing. Would
the South offer a market for ships? Not
likely.
Our other exports are linen, rope, to-
bacco and textile machinery. One can
not see the South becoming large buyer
of any of them.
But more important than that is this
consideration: Before we should unite
we would have to be assured that we
would not come into the government as
six counties out of 80 but as six counties
that have money and men and leader
ship. In other words, we should not be
expected to be governed by Dublin, we
would want our own government. And
no one has yet shown us any great ad-
vantage in union"
Need Recognized in South.
There are many, however, in North and
South, who appear eager for union if
some workable plan can be constructed
No one in the South differs on the need
for the union. 1t is point, perhaps the
only one, on which the I. r. A. and De
Valera agree.
This same Irish Republican Army is
not only a dangerous force when union
is considered but considered by many
the greatest impeachment to total recon-
ciliation between Britain and Ireland.
To its members, the best guess on its
enrolment is 10000. Some guesses run
as high as $4,000. Britain is still the
hereditary foe.
The I. r. A. and it's supporters agitate
against British troops on Irish soil and
British warships in Irish waters even in