Evening star., 1939-08-06
Ireland Becomes Britain's Vital
Cog as War Crises Flow and Ebb
England Depends on Isle as Larder in Peace
and Confict-Disunion of Ulster
Complicates Irish Problem
BY Dre,O Middleton,
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.


work were too tame. So they went West
and worked that wild feeling out of them
against the Indians and the woods.
well, we haven't West in Ireland ex-
cept your own or Canadas and we've lost
too many men that way for our own good
now. So the men who fought through
the risings in the I. r. A. stay here. They
don't like the way things are going.
They don't think all that fighting gained
them anything. They cannot understand
peace. So they've taken up the gun and
the bomb again to terrorize and win new
concessions from Britain. Heaven knows
what they want, but whatever it Is
imagine they'll play ball with any one,
even Germany and Italy, to get it,
This last hint that the l. R. A. is sup
ported by money from the Continent is
believed in many parts of Ireland Ulster
accepts it as proven fact. The whole
island is ripe with rumors about the I.
R. A. In addition to the proposed march
on Tyrone and Fermanagh, there are
others.
One is that the l. r. A. will present De
Valera with an ultimatum in the fall.
He will have to ask the North to unite
or fight. If he doesn't the army will take
over the government Such demands,
say the gossips, will be synchronized with
the next crisis on the continent.
Whether or not any of these are true
1t is clear that the l. R. A. has become
the country's most pressing problem and
great annoyance to Britain. No or
ganization has ever blocked real friend
ship with Britain and Ulster and a sub
sequent chance for union so we'll
What of the new Ireland since De
Valera came into power?
Difference Easily Spotted.
The casual visitor to Dublin can see
outward differences almost Immediately.
The tri-color has replaced the old union
flag. There are new stamps and coins,
although the values, pounds, shillings,
pence, remain the same. There is a new
national anthem The Soldier Song"
Street names are written in Gaelic
The army has changed from khaki to
green. Post boxes and phone booths are
painted green instead of red. An at
tempt has been made to teach Gaelic and
English in the schools, an attempt that
failed.
Education has been revamped and local
government overhauled The creaky law
system has been replaced by one less
ponderous and more workable Agricul-
ture has been improved by scientific
Standardization. The electrifcation of
the famed River Shannon has augmented
power. Transportation facilities have
been improved and increased
All this since the political revolution
of 1882 when De Valera took power.
But these changes shrink in compari-
son beside new social phenomena, the
rise of middle class of trades people,
industrial workers and white collar"
workers.
The interests of this new class are not
identical with Britain's. Instead. eco
nomic sufficiency for Ireland is the
goal.
New industries were fostered by De
Valera's government and aided by a
wave of patriotism soon after that gov
ernment took over and Britain raised
tariffs. Factories were scattered through
out the country. Farmers were told to
raise wheat, for which the climate and
soil are unsuited, not cattle. Every ef-
fort was made to make the nation self
contained and self-supporting. Some i'm
ports were banned absolutely.
Food Prices Climb.
This policy has had its repercussions.
The farmer is nowhere nearly as well of.
In the cities prices are high. Bacon tea,
potatoes and sugar cost more than in
Britain. Bread in Dublin is a third
dearer than in London
The factories have not done as well
as expected. The government sends
delegations abroad to study continental
methods and spends money on new ma
chinery. Still the trade figures of 1897
tell the story.
These figures show that of Ireland's
imports of roughly s206, 1888 900 she got
nearly half or s1O0,62O,OOO from Great
Britain. To balance this Britain and
Ulster still are the great European mar
kets. OF exports worth approximately
$106, 704 900 about s87 408 900 are sold to
Britain and $1010880O to Ulster.
In the light of these figures it is hard
to visualize an independent economic Ire
land for years to come. They also indi-
cate the part the farmer still plays, for
the exports still consist largely of the
three "B's,"-bacon, butter and beef,
plus eggs.
Ireland is still England's dairy farm;
war probably would mean agricultural
and possible industrial prosperity for her.
Students of the situation believe the
solution of partition lies not with De Va
lera and Ireland, nor with Ulster or with
Britain. but among all three. If each
will contribute concessions and agree
ments, say these theorists, the problem
which has harried these islands since
Cromwelrs time may yet be settled.