"Crown de Valera!"

IRISH FREE STATE

"Crown de Valera!"

In the middle of a Dublin night last week gaunt, scraggle-haired President Eamon de Valera took Ireland by surprise, proclaimed dissolution of the Free State Dail, ordered a general election Jan. 24 and left puzzled Irish postmen wondering where they were at.

It was the postmen who unwittingly touched off Mr. de Valera, much as a child playing with matches might happen to light a skyrocket. The head of the Postal Workers' Union is worthy William Norton. Worthy William is also leader of the Free State's small but vital Labor Party whose seven seats in the Dail have held the balance of power. Recently President de Valera decided to cut civil servants' salaries, notably postmen's. As a politician Mr. Norton could see some sense in this but as head of the Postal Workers' Union he could not. He protested. Mr. de Valera cut the salaries just the same. Along toward 11 p. m. agitated William Norton called on the President, declared, "I must and will fight your cuts with every weapon in my power!"

Were this threat made good, the seven Laborite Deputies would swing their balance of power against the de Valera Government and oust it when the Dail met. As Dublin clocks struck midnight the Cabinet hastily conferred. Reporters bunched respectfully a few paces from the locked door. At 12:45 a. m. it opened, the President announced dissolution, cried in ringing tones: "I have no doubt that my Government possesses the confidence of the country! We shall win the election and our victory will automatically abolish the Oath of Allegiance" (sworn by Free State Deputies & Senators to King George).

Postmen got their big surprise when Worthy William declared on the second day after his midnight "break" with President de Valera over salaries, that he and his Labor Party will support the Government during the campaign "because of Mr. de Valera's splendid stand on the national issue!" Laborites, continued Mr. Norton, "believe in meeting and beating external aggression, whether military or economic." They believe, that is, in President de Valera's refusal to pay land annuities to Great Britain, a refusal which has provoked drastic British trade reprisals (TIME, July 25).

No believer in provoking Britain is Opposition Leader William T. Cosgrave who had been Free State President for ten consecutive years when he was forced out by Mr. de Valera's close victory in the election last winter (TIME, Feb. 29). Routed out of bed at 1 a. m. by reporters who told him that the President had just dissolved the Dail, Mr. Cosgrave snorted, "I'll have nothing to say until the morning!"

When he did have something to say ex-President Cosgrave shocked many Britons by announcing that should he win the election he would not resume the annuity payments in full but will demand that Britain scale them down. "We must have a new agreement based on our capacity to pay," said Mr. Cosgrave. "This country like all others has been caught in the world slump. . . . We want negotiation with Britain. ... If we win the election, as I fully expect we will, I'll guarantee that three days after the Dail meets on Feb. 8, I can settle all outstanding disputes with Great Britain to the mutual satisfaction of both countries."

Irish observers considered this a weasel by Mr. Cosgrave who, when President, always paid the annuities in full. They said that President de Valera has gone to the country in time's nick, before the full effects of British trade reprisals are felt in the Free State. Unquestionably the election will be close. Dublin odds slightly favored de Valera last week.

On the kind of a night Irishmen love-- clear, cold and with a big butter-colored moon--President de Valera opened his campaign on Dublin's College Green, where 25,000 Irishmen stood with white breaths to hear him. Studiously moderate, since his followers are lively enough, Mr. de Valera warned, "There must be no violence in this campaign . . . nothing which could cause Irishmen here at home or in America to feel ashamed of their country!" Taking the President's bold Nationalism for granted, the crowd roared cheer on cheer, wound up the meeting with a lusty song. "We Witt Crown de Valera King of Ireland!"

Next day Catholic bishops and priests publicly seconded President de Valera's motion for "no violence," but 48 hours later election brickbats, rotten eggs and paving stones were flying all over Dublin. In O'Connel Street 300 police were swamped by a pro-de Valera throng which tried to upset a husting on which sat fat Mrs. Collins O'Driscoll--sister of Finance Minister Michael Collins, who was assassinated in 1922--and lean General Richard

Mulcahy, ex-President Cosgrave's Defense Minister (1922-24). Mobsters shouted down the General by calling him unprintable names, drowned out Mrs. O'Driscoll when she waddled to the microphone with jeers of "Daisy! Daisy, give me your answer, do!", finally broke up the meeting by tearing down loud speakers from lamp posts.

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