(Incorporating "Irish Freedom")

\ v, S c r i e s N o . 2 9 MAY, 1947 Price 3d.

SPECIAL LABOUR YOUTH

NUMBER

RE TO BUILD FIVE NEW POWER STATIONS

GOVT. PLANS TO MEET FUEL CRISIS

MR. DESMOND DONNELLY, who stood as Labour candidate In the Co. Down by-clcction last year, describes his impressions of Northern Ireland in an

article on page three.

Irish In Britain

'May Stay for Years'

/ 'ONTRARY to expectations—and de-spite optimistic reports in the "Ir ish

Press"—Irish workers who came to Bri-tain during the war are not re tu rn ing home in large numbers.

Nine out of ten emigrants would strongly welcome the chance to re turn to I re land but most are re luc tan t to leave the com-parative safety of their job in this coun-try for what fhey consider to be a pre-carious chance of gett ing a job a t home.

Some of the younger men have already married and plan to settle In Britain permanently. Hardest h i t economically are marr ied

men who find themselves unable to maintain two homes on their reduced peace-time earn ings and yet canno t find a house for their families. Building labour-era getting about £4 10s. a week find it im-possible to send much money home now that the subsistence allowance h a s been slopped.

Wages in Dublin Skilled workers who will get as high, if

not higher rate, in Dublin as they will in B n t a i n - a r e part icular ly anxious to get back to Ireland, bu t they find t h a t the recent fuel crisis h a s halted the industr ia l expansion which had begun to take place there last year. In Northern Ireland, though both sh ipyards and linen mills are busy, there are still over 40.000 unemployed —equivalent to over 1.500,000 in Bri tain.

Recent figures given by Mr. de Valera in tl'e Dail show t h a t emigration still con-tinued to be very high during 1946 and the lirst three m o n t h s of 1947. Last year 29,503, and for January , February and March of 'his year 8,219 travel permits were issued in Dublin.

Women and girls outnumbered men al-most two to one in this exodus, suggesting •hat it Is textiles, nursing and domestic service which are getting most of Ireland's Migrant labour at present.

A MBITIOUS new schemes to meet the threat ^ of permanent fuel crisis were announced in the Dail last month by Mr. Sean Lemass, Eire Minister of Industry and Commerce, when he described Electricity Supply Board's plans to build five new power stations in Eire.

T h e E.S.B. w o u l d d o u b l e i ts p r e s e n t c a p a c i t y w i t h i n t he n e x t f ive y e a r s , s a id Mr . L e m a s s . T h e n e w h y d r o -e l e c t r i c s t a t i o n on t h e E r n e w o u l d s u p p l y 200 m i l l i o n u n i t s by 1951 a n d t h e L i f f e y s c h e m e a t P o u l a p h o u c a 10 m i l l i o n un i t s f r o m 1948.

N e w t u r f - b u r n i n g g e n e r a t i n g p l a n t s w e r e to be e r e c t e d at P o r t a r l i n g t o n (90 m i l l i o n uni ts f r o m 1949) a n d at A l l e n -wood, K i l d a r e , w h i c h w o u l d e v e n t u a l l y p r o d u c e 135 m i l l i o n units.

I t w a s h o p e d , a lso, t o b u i l d a Sma l l t u r f - g e n e r a t i n g s t a t i o n in C o r k . T h e P i g e o n H o u s e , D u b l i n , s t a t i o n w a s t o b e t u r n e d o v e r f r o m c o a l t o oil-b u r n i n g .

Bord na Mona, the big Government turf-producing organisation, is also consider-ably to increase its output .

Next year it is hoped to have 16 spe-cially-designed turf-cut t ing machines in action, and by then it is expected t h a t Bord na Mona will be able to take over the turf-producing responsibilities of the Cp. Councils, which, said Mr. Lemass, must be allowed to catch up on their a r rears of other work.

UNIONS WIN BIG WAGE INCREASES

I RISH trade unions have won big wage J increases for their members since the

Wages Standsti l l Older was abolished last September.

T h e average increases range from 10/-tor women to over 30/- for skilled workers. It is estimated that the total extra amount going into pay packets is about £150,000 a week.

In spite of the increases, t rade union officials say, the rising cost of living makes many of the present wages a n d salaries Inadequate, and if the tendency continues upwards there will be no al ternat ive but to prepare f u r t h e r claims on employers.

More Pay The Women Workers' Union, with about

6,000 members, h a s completed negotiations on oehalf of all its members, and the av-erage increase since the ending of the standstil l order is about 10 - a week.

Increases amount ing to about 60 per cent, over 1939 ra tes were awarded to the transport , building, flour, bakery, elec-trical, engineering, air t ranspor t , sugar and other industries.

Additional pay was also secured by Civil Servants, rai lway clerks. Local Govern-ment employees and other non-manual workers, including teachers, while bank officials and other similar workers are negotiating a t present on substant ia l sal-arv claims.

Turf Target

S c a n O ' C i i M ' y I k U e r Mr. Sean O'Casey, the 64-year-old Irish

playwright, is recovering frorq influenza a t his home in Totnes, Devon.

I

ABBEY STAR DIES J. McCOKMICK, famous Abbey

• Theatre aetor, and star of "Odd Man Out," died in Dublin last month after a brain operation.

This year the Co. Councils would be asked to produce over 600,000 tons of fuel over local needs, which combined with the 200,000 tons of turf produced in the Kil-dare camps should meet the country 's need. The size of this task could be mea-sured by the fact t ha t last year output was only 350,000 tons, and the h ighes t out-put ever achieved 450,000 tons.

Labour circles in Dublin warmly wel-come the Government's new fuel plans. They point out that coal is likely to be scarce for many years, and are unanimous in agreeing that the supply of cheap and abundant electricity will greatly benefit light secondary industries and be a boon to working-class homes, particularly on small farms which lack labour-saving devices.

Criticism, however, is made of the fai lure to co-ordinate plans with the Six Counties Government on the Erne scheme. The Federation of Rura l Workers which h a s organised a large proportion of the turf men at Clonsast claims t h a t sufficient la-bour will not be recruited unti l the pre-sent low level of wages of 1 2 an hour is raised and welfare condit ions improved.

Trade Agreement Apart from his good news about elec-

trical developments, Mr. Lemass 's speech gave a gloomy view of the country 's eco-nomic future. Building plans were handi-capped by lack of t imber and steel; t rans-port had Ijeen badly hit by shor tage of coal, and many C I.E. engines would have to turn to oil; and bad weather had re-duced the output of crops.

"It was clear," said Mr. Lemass, " tha t recovery in industrial ou tput and employ-ment recorded last year liad been checked by post-war difficulties." Coal, new equip-men t and raw mater ials wrere no t coming through as quickly as had been expected.

Mr. William Norton, T.D., the Labour leader, urged the Government to make a comprehensive t rade agreement with Bri-tain.

British miners, ho said, would surpass their coal target by next December.

He advocated an intensive survey of Ire-land's own mineral resources.

SENATOR SAM KYLE, Irish Secretary of (lie Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union, who took part with Mr. Jim Larkin and Mr. William Norton, in the recent Irish fuel crisis discussions in London. (See page two).

BLUESHIRTS OUT OF FAVOUR

By Our Political Correspondent J R I S H B L U E S H I R T S are having

little success in their attempts to make a come-back under the guise of an "anti-Fianna Fail coalition."

Suggestions by Dr. T . F. O H i g g i n s , Fine Gael leader, that all the oppo-nents of the Government—with the exception of Labour whom he ex-cuses from jumping on his Fascist bandwagon—might get together un-der the leadership of Mr. James Dil-lon, have met with not much re-sponse except from Mr. Dil lon him-self who modestly says that he would be wiiling to become the next Taoi-seach.

Dillon, of course is a rabid Red-baiter and hater of Labour whose sole policy seems to be to get straight back into the British Empire and back up President Truman's crusade against the Soviet Union.

C O S G R A V E ' S F A S C I S T S Independent Newspapers naturally

back the Dil lon-O'Higgins efforts to revive the old Blueshirt-Christ ian Front organisation. T h e y have been supporting reaction in Ireland since they attacked James Lark in In 1913, called for the blood of Con-nolly, denounced the Republicans in the Civil War and given ttieir bles-sing to General Franco, so It is not surprising that they should now try hopefully to revive that Government of ranchers, bankers and Fascist politicians which ruled Saorstat Eireann between 1923-1932.

The Government organ, "The Irish Press," has published two blis-tering editorials on Mr. Dillon's am-bitions to "accept the leadership of the Irish Nation." It describes the tactics of F ine Gael as a "melan-choly and pitiable exhibition."

F I N E G A E L D I S G R A C E "Fourteen years ago," it says,

General Mulcahy, like most of his colleagues, donned a blue shirt and a beret, and gave his full sup-port to the raging, tearing, law-breaking campaign which, its ini-tiators hoped, would destroy the democratic system of government in this country and set up a totali-tarian State. Through the firmness of the Government of the day, and the good sense of the I r i sh people, democracy was saved a n d totali-tarianism ignominiously defeated.

The Fine GaeJ Party which, un-der a different name, was the party of the Blueshlrts, has never recovered from the disgrace of that period. It has declined and disintegrated and to-day It is ' in extremis.'"

ti ; IS

THE IRISH DEMOCRAT May, 1947

DUBLIN OWES DEBT TO LARKIN FOR SUCCESS OF = = ' COAL TALKS THE LATE

JIM LARKIN T h e f u l l s t o r y of J a m e s C o n n o l l y a n d J i m L a r k i n in the t u r b u l e n t years of the N a t i o n a l a n d L a b o u r S t r u g g l e is t o l d a n d i l lus-

t r a t e d in 4 JAMES CONNOLLY * THE FORERUNNER*

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l t y O u r D u b l i n C o r m p o n d e i i i

JIM LARKIN'S visit to London to urge the British Govern-ment to release coal to save Dublin's gas supplies has been

the talk of Dublin. T h e m a n in t h e s t r e e t f e e l s t h a t he

o w e s L a b o u r ' s d e p u t y fo r S o u t h D u b -l in a v e r y b ig d e b t — a n d h i s w i f e is s t i l l m o r e c o n v i n c e d of it.

Wha t is beginning to sink in, too. is the fact t ha t it was the British workers them-selves—the miners speaking t h r o u g h Ar-thur Horner and Will Lawther—who in-sisted tha t Mr. Shinwell provide Ireland with the coal she most urgently needs.

Fine Gael's Move The Pine Gael party, speaking th rough

the mouth not of its leader, R icha rd Mul-cahy, but of Dr. O'Higgins, is cal l ing for

united opposi-tion to F ianna Fail a t t he next election due in two years ' time. J immy Dillon, Oliver Flana-gan, some inde-pendents and a few deserters from t h e Gov-ernment Party are, according to the "Irish Times' willing to fall in with t h e ex-Blueshirt leader, the Government

Mr. W. Norton, T.D.

Demagogic a t tacks on with a complete lack of constructive policy are all tha t can be expected f rom such a political hook-up. The danger is t h a t the definite swing away from Pianna Fail, not so far decided but already noticeable will profit the O'Higgins reactionaries.

The common sense of the Ir ish people can undoubtedly be trusted to prevent Fine Gael from ever forming a Government again, and thus openly inviting British and American Imperialists to take over the country and all its resources; but the class for which these people speak certainly hope that the result of the next election will be such that a confused stalemate will lead to the formation of a Government in which their views will have decisive say.

There is only one way to prevent such a disaster, and t ha t is for public opinion to be roused to demand the far more rapid and intensive development of our nat ional resources so as to guarantee not only full employment and a higher national income capable of more equitable division bu t also the genuine independence of t he state which is still alarmingly dependent on out-side fuel, food and shipping.

Norton's Policy Fortunately Mr. Norton, T.D., Labour

leader, during the Dail debate on the pro-visional est imates before Easter, declared working-class support for the policy of more production of basic wealth in Ireland. Firstly, trade union unity must be estab-lished, then the whole Labour Movement must be associated fully and officially with a great drive for nat ional economic devel-opment, such as we see in small countr ies like Norway.

At present the enormous over-subscrip-tion of luxury share issues like Odeon Cin-emas—its £400,000 issue was over-subscribed eightfold recently and the in-flated profits of drapery firms like McBirney's and Arnott's give average wor-ker the impression that little is being done to make this country the people's state en-visaged by Connolly.

Fares Racket With the official cost of hbing index at

295—almost peak level—Coras Impair Eireann 's increase of bus, tram a n d train fares is treated as an insult. C.I.E.'s ser-vice is far from efficient, and the i r war-time profits were enormous.

Teachers' New Plan for Schools

TH E Irish National Teachers' Or-ganisation is to be congratulated

on its new programme for the re-form of our educational system.

Many experienced teachers told the last I.N.T.O. Conference that plans for the revival of Irish are be-ing totally frustrated by keeping the school-leaving age at 14. St i l l more serious is the fact that only about 2 per cent, of our national income is spent on education; that only 1 in 11 of our national school pupils get a secondary education, and that only 1 in 4 of these go on to a university. At the same time the country is cry-ing out for technicians to develop our turf and agricultural resources, for teachers, transport experts, and trained seamen.

Let us hope that the I.N.T.O.'s pro-gramme will be more than a nine days' wonder, and that it is dis-cussed thoroughly by the whole nation.

Send y o u r copy of the IRISH DEMOCRAT home

when you've read it.

1,500Extra Copies Sold IR I S H Democrat sales, like crops and

flowers, have been blooming in the April sunshine. Easter always is a good time for our sellers, but this year they did par t icular ly well owing to the fine weather which invariably helps our street, church door a n d pub sales.

F i f t een hundred ext ra copies were printed last month for the Connolly Asso-ciation. and these were all sold by Easter Monday. Over 500 copies were sold at the big hur l ing match a t Mitcham Stadium.

In the Bull Ring, Birmingham, where Mr. P. J . Clancy spoke on Easter Sunday, eight dozen copies were sold in twenty minutes.

Dur ing the summer months which lie ahead it is important tha t we mainta in these increased sales. Money is urgently needed to pay printing costs, wages, rent, and travelling expenses for our circulation manager . Please send your contribution to the Fighting Fund immediately.

Our most sincere thanks for following contr ibut ions in March and April: J. H Hudson. M P., V. Snelling 4 -, H. Reynolds 5 -, Sean Moriarty 10 -, R. Fairley 5 -. Mrs. Terence McSwiney £2, Connolly Associa-tion, Social Committee £3 10/-, J . McDon-nell 5 -, "Manchester Readers" £3. Ewar t Milne 6 -. P. J. Hope 2 6, W. Burke 15 -. F Greenwood 5 -. Miss Pat O'Kelly 6 -. J . Horan 2 6. F.C. £1. P. Kelly £1, "Sup-por ter" 3 2. Chris Delaney 2 6, W. Barr 11 6 Nora Gallagher £2, "Arktow" 2 -. G O'Reilly 1 -. P. Earley 8 6, E. D. Gilliland 3 -, Connollv Association, nat ional mem-bers £1 16 3, Office collecting box 19 2, Lectures at Garibaldi Cafe £1 13 6. P D £2 9 6, Connollv Association. Executive Commit tee £10. Total £33 0 2.

All subscriptions, please, to the Manager . - I r i sh Democrat." 150 Southampton Row. London. W.C.1.

(Continued from ni'\t Column)

Irish Poetry

I DO not agree with your critic who praises so highly the American

anthologv "1000 Years of Irish Verse." Undoubtedly this is a comprehensive and much-needed book, but it seems to me tha t in the section on recent Irish poetry tha t the editor has lost all her critical faculties. Pure poetry by writers like Yeats and Colum is lumped in with the worst kind of doggerel. Higgins and Clarke, two of our finest poets, are almost Ignored.

F E R G U S O ' B R I E N . London. . . . . .

Readers' Rostrum

Was Connolly A Marxist?

I C O N T R O V E R S Y is g a t h e r i n g r o u n d m y book, " J a m e s C o n n o l l y : T h e

F o r e r u n n e r . " A few critics have objected to my quot-

ing Connolly's s ta tement to his daugh te r : "The Socialists will never understand why I am here. They all forget that I am an I r i shman." Thomas Johns ton in 'Forward ' underlined this by writing of Connolly's s tand: "The psycology of it all is a mystery to me." Winifred Trench in the "New S ta t e sman" says tha t "Even Connolly's judgment in leading the Citizen Army into Easter Week appears now open to ques-tion." Sheila Green, Editor of the "I r i sh People" answers t ha t by pointing out t h a t Labour must identify itself with the Re-publican struggle not withdraw from it. In 1916 Connolly did not hope to achieve a Workers ' Republic but he believed in struggling for nat ional freedom as a neces-sary step to that end.

A critic in the April "Irish Democrat" is upset because I emphasise Connolly's insistence on the value of personality, the grandeur of the h u m a n spirit. Connolly affirmed his r ight to be a Catholic a n d Socialist, and argued his case with skilful logic. P.D. is worried over the emergence of a potential "Ir ish revisionist." Appar-ently if I had suppressed Connolly's thought on this question I would not be a "revisionist." Neither would Connolly. It is hard for P.D. to want to accept Connolly and reject his thought at the same time.

I agree with Ewart Milne tha t one can-not speak with cer ta inty about Connolly's a t t i tude to Fascism. It is true tha t he ha ted everything Nazism stood for. But tha t does not mean t h a t Ireland's best con-tr ibution would have been to join in t he mili tary struggle.

R. M. F O X . Dublin.

* * * Larkin Memorial

/CONGRATULATIONS on your Larkin V Memorial number. It will be put away with mv other treasures.

During the 1913 lockout I was made fully aware of J im's wonderful fight for t he Irish workers when, a s a boy of 13, I had to run for my life f rom the murderous at-tacks of R.I.C. I can also remember food

the strikers ' families by union and co-operative

being sent to Bri t ish t rade organisations.

J I M S T A L L A R D , (President, Greet Branch, A.E.U.)

Birmingham. * * *

Galway Drama

TWAS glad to see your theat re critic spotted the unusual merit of Wal te r

Macken's plav "Galway Handicap" pro-duced recently a t the Lyric, Hammersmi th .

W h a t greater praise for a playwright than hear his first play likened to O'Casey's "Juno and the Paycock."

Slumdon's problems are much the same everywhere. In Sheffield. Glasgow. Dublin or Cork the social s t igma is identical. Drama can only invest the problem with a variety of solution and treatment .

Meanwhile one wonders what has hap-pened to other young Ir ish dramat is ts of promise. What of Bernard McGinn whose "Remembered For Ever" was a satire on F ianna Fail? Wha t of Mervvn Wall who wrote in "Ladv in the Twilight" a t ruly Chekovian study of the decay of the landecl classes in I re land?

L. H. D A I K E N . London. * * *

Partition Critic

T T is perfectly t rue tha t the Six County I Labour movement is faced with special

difficulties with regard to Partition. And it is a most hopeful sign t ha t the advanced section of Labour here is beginning to work out a most realistic policv based on the recognition of these difficulties.

But to suggest tha t the rest of I re land should accommodate itself to the strait -jacket imposed by 25 years of sectar ian and undemocratic adminis t rat ion is simply to ignore reality. T h e medley of hal f -t ru ths and un t ru ths disseminated by Sir Basil Brooke's propagandis ts is not the main obstacle to Ir ish unity. The main enemy of a free, united Ireland is Br i t i sh Imperialism. Remove Imperialism and the Brookes Andrews. Dillons and Mulcahys from the Irish political scene, and other points of misunderstanding between both sections of our people will fall into relative insignificance.

In criticising F ianna Fail it is well to note tha t bitter enemies or the Eire Gov-e rnmen t are also found on the Right. T h e "Sunday Independent" has called for a united opposition to F i anna Fail under the leadership of James Dillon with a pro-gramme reminiscent of Blueshirt and Chris t ian Front days. We should not for-get t ha t these groups want Eire inside the British Empire and subordinate to the anti-Soviet Anglo-American bloc.

J I M P R E N O E R G A S T . Bolfa»t. h i i

(Continued in Preceding Column), p

May, 1947 THE IRISH DEMOCRAT

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Rebels at Westminster

• J - H E a c t i o n of n e a r l y 200 L a b o u r ,

L i b e r a l a n d C o m m u n i s t M.P. 's in

s i g n i n g an a m e n d m e n t to the N o r t h -

ern I r e l a n d B i l l is one of the most

e n c o u r a g i n g m o v e s to assist d e m o c -

r a c y in I r e l a n d that has been m a d e in

the Mouse of C o m m o n s for m a n y

years .

S o long as the B r i t i s h G o v e r n m e n t

w a s d o m i n a t e d by I m p e r i a l i s t s of the

B a l d w i n - C h a m b e r l a i n - C h u r c h i l l type

l i tt le cou ld be e x p e c t e d in the w a y of

i m p r o v i n g A n g l o - I r i s h re lat ions .

B r i t i s h B i g B u s i n e s s and its oppo-

site n u m b e r in B e l f a s t w e r e content

to m a i n t a i n the S i x C o u n t i e s as a

s t r a t e g i c base for I m p e r i a l i s m a n d as

a prof i table a r e a f o r c a p i t a l i s t

e x p l o i t a t i o n . N o w that the f o r c e s of

S o c i a l i s m are g r o w i n g s t r o n g e r a t

W e s t m i n s t e r , w e m a y e x p e c t to see an

e v e r - w i d e n i n g b r e a c h between the

U l s t e r U n i o n i s t s a n d the B r i t i s h

L a b o u r G o v e r n m e n t .

S o far, u n f o r t u n a t e l y , B e v i n ' s p o l i c y h a s p r e d o m i n a t e d in the b r i t i s n Cab inet , a n d w e h a v e seen the s h a m e -f u l spectac le of L a b o u r M i n i s t e r s hob-n o b b i n g w i t h S i r B a s i l B r o o k e .

B u t as the f a i l u r e of these b a n k r u p t tact i cs b e c o m e s i n c r e a s i n g l y o b v i o u s , so the L a o o u r reoe.s g a . n g r o w i n g s u p p o r t for t h e i r d e m a n d ror a m o r e v i g o r o u s d r i v e t o w a r u s s o c i a l i s m both at nome a n d a b r o a d .

M i l l i o n s of L e f t - w i n g s y m p a t h i s e r s in B r i t a i n t o g e t h e r w u h i n n u e n t i a l t r a d e union, j o u r n a l i s t i c , c o - o p e r a t i v e a n a pol i t i ca l l e a d e r s now rea l i se that the l o r i e s p l a n to use tne S i x C o u n -ties as a s p r i n g b o a r d for t h e i r e x -pecteu c o u n t e r - a t t a c k a g a i n s t L a b o u r at the n e x t e lect ion, it is a lso be-c o m i n g i n c r e a s i n g l y r e c o g n i s e d , des-pite tne f r a n t i c e n o r t s or the l o r y press on both s ides or the I r i s h S e a to pa int " l o y a l U l s t e r " In the most g l o w i n g c o l o u r s , that the S i x C o u n -ties has one or the most b a c k w a r d G o v e r n m e n t s in E u r o p e , e x c e l l e d o n l y by S p a i n , P o r t u g a l , a n d G r e e c e for its G e s t a p o - l i k e p o n c e , po l i t i ca l repres -s ion, low w a g e s a n d u n e m p l o y m e n t .

I r i s h e x i l e s in B r i t a i n w i l l g r e a t l y s t r e n g t h e n the h a n d s of those L a b o u r b a c k b e n c h e r s w h o w a n t to see d e m o c -r a c y restored to the S i x C o u n t i e s a n d I r e l a n d uni ted by w r i t i n g to the press in their s u p p o r t a n d g e t t i n g reso lu-t ions of s y m p a t h y passed in tne i r local L a b o u r , t rade un ion, a n t i - P a r t i t i o n L e a g u e a n d C o n n o l l y A s s o c i a t i o n b r a n c h e s .

DILLON'S.CIRCUS C O Mr. J a m e s D i l l o n a n d M r . T . J . ** O ' H i g g i n s , those d i s g r u n t l e d pol i -t i c i a n s and e x - f r i e n d s of the B l u e -sh i r ts , are t r y i n g to o r g a n i s e a u n i t e d opposit ion to F i a n n a F a i l . W h a t a prospect w o u l d e x i s t for E i r e if e v e r these s p o k e s m e n for l a n d l o r d s a n d p r o f i t - g r a b b e r s got into p o w e r a g a i n .

T h e I r i sh people w e l l real ise that it is to a un i ted L a b o u r m o v e m e n t , a n d not to these d i s c r e d i t e d r e p r e s e n t a -t ives of c l e r i c a l f a s c i s m , that t h e y m u s t look for an a l t e r n a t i v e g o v e r n -m e n t . '

Labour's Fight To Oust Tories From Stormont

ORANGE BIGOTS IN BELFAS1 " J - H E part i t ion of I r e l a n d raised a

m a j o r pol i t ica l issue w h i c h st i l l t r a n s c e n d s all other p r o b l e m s in I r i sh pol i t i cs .

A n y o n e w h o h a s a d d r e s s e d po l i t i ca l m e e t i n g s in I r e l a n d w i l l a g r e e t h a t " Q u e s t i o n - t i m e " n e v e r g o e s b y w i t h -ou t q u e r i e s a b o u t t h e " B o r d e r . ' '

By playing on the Border issue and fan-ning the flames of sectar ian bigotry, Ul-ster Unionism has kept power. The Orange Order has been the ins t rument by which this political grip has been retained upon the people. First impression received by any visitor to Noithern I re land is aston-ishment at the Ruri tar ian atmosphere pre-vailing. Flags are flown on every occasion. A gestapo-like Special Powers Act is in force. One section of the community is cont nually paying lip service to the King. An atmosphere of political and religious intolerance hangs like a pail over Belfast.

Police are more numerous than in any other country in Europe and all carry arms.

Labour's Progress Next to the Border question, the two

other political t r u x p cards produced at elections, are the King and the Union Jack,

j This exploitation of the Head of the State | and the National flag in elect .ons indicates i the unsciupulousness of Ulster Unionism, j and shows astute unders tanding of Irish | reaction to monarch al propaganda. So

successful has been the King-and-Union-Jack clap-trap that the Unionist party is often referred to as "The Official Prirty, reminding one of the plebiscites for or against the "Official Par ty" in Nazi Ger-many.

With th is background, it is not surpris-ing t h a t little progress has been made by the Nor thern Ireland Labour Party. Yet there are circumstances which should have opened the eyes of the people to the pres-sing problems which exist.

All in Belfast during the 1931 depression recall the terrible unemployment. Memo-ries are still fresh of people who lay down before city t rams because it was their only means of registering a protest . Why was this the only available means of protest? Why was there no leadership from the Labour Par ty to speak for the people who so desperately needed a champion?

The answer is clear to all for the real reason for this lack of leadership was ab-sence of decision within. To this day the Labour Par ty have made no clear state-ment of policy on the Border issue.

Religious Issues All agree tha t it is an extremely difficult

problem. Apart from the religious differ-ences involved for the abolition of the Bor-der would entail great economic changes.

Social services in the South are below those in the North, and the problem of

DESMOND DONNELLY

Labour candidate in the Co. Down By-EIection last year, contributes his impressions of the political situation in

the Six Counties

unit ing Ireland without lowering the stan-dard of living of Northern Ireland is a difficult one.

Nevertheless, despite this hesitancy, Orangemen regard the Northern Labour Par ty as a Nationalist party, while the Nationalists think of them as a lukewarm

j Unionist group. Of course any opponent to a Unionist :s always labelled National-

I ist to help close the ranks of Orangemen I agains t h m.

Fur thermore as James Connolly, and

many o thers have always pointed out, t he nat ional issue is linked with the economic problem. Socialist leadership is also needed on the land question because "The Land for the People" is a fundamen ta l Socialist principle.

Socialist Unity In my view, three conditions are neces-

sary to remedy existing complacency. Firs t , policy must be based on f u n d a m e n t a l Socialist principles, bearing in mind t h a t the first principle of Socialism is unity of the common people. Such a policy, re-solutely presented to the people will al-ways secure a following.

Second, organisat ion of the par ty m u s t be built up and a courageous p rog ramme of educat ing the people between elections must be commenced. Elections cannot be won in three weeks.

Education should be a priority task. Finally, an a t t empt must be made to im-

prove the selection of candidates. Recent experience of individuals imagining they are more impor tan t than the party, is one which cannot be repeated.

With such a policy to offer, the Nor thern Ireland Labour Par ty can justifiably claim support. The task before them is great and one which they should be proud t o undertake. All who love the Ir ish people will wish them well for without the solu-tion of these pressing d.fficulties there is no alternative to another 25 years of Tory rule.

BISHOP CONDEMNS FRANCO I \ R . FRANCIS McMAHON, Catholic

scholar whose Press credentials were recently withdrawn in Spain, published last mon th in the "New York Post" a gr im picture of the Franco regime by the Catholic Bishop of the Canary Islands.

He found his people were victims of "famine, malnutri t ion and an exhaust ion a t once economic, psychological and patho-logical."

Speaking not only of the Canar ies but of all regions of Spain, the bishop con-tinued tha t everyone knew t h a t to-day thousands who had enriched themselves overnight "live like princes at the expense of the hunger and angu sh of the major i ty of Spaniards - peih.ips the best Spaniards."

There was risk tha t the under-privileged would "become so desperate that , hav ing

nothing more to lose, they will resort to violent social upheaval in an a t t emp t to recover all.

Brink of Abyss The Franco State had converted itself

into "the pitiless executioner of those sub-jects whose r ights it is supposed to be pro-tecting—above all of its most needy sub-jects."

Tuberculosis was rife and the number of deaths from this disease was fr ighten-ing.

The Canary Islands themselves stood on the brink of an abyss "with mult i tudes in an active s ta te of disease, wandering-through the s t reets without a bed in t h e hospital, without access to a sana tor ium, even homeless or living in hovels devoid of every convenience."

A DEMOCRATS DIARY by the EDITOR

GOEBBELS IN CO. DOWN A I R . PATRICK AGNEW, veteran La-- ' bour member of Armagh City

Council, is the latest contributor to our Par t i t ion controversy.

Wri t ing as former Labour M.P. for South Down who was defeated in 1945 a f t e r a scurrilous campaign by the pre-sent Nationalist member, Mr. Malachy Con'.on, he questions the political sin-cerity of some of the Right-Wing Catho-lic leaders of the Anti-Parti t ion League.

"I t is evident tha t Six-County Nation-alists sailing under the guise of anti-Part i t ion are trying to persuade the Bri-tish workers tha t they are friendly to-wards Labour," he writes. "Part i t ion will never be solved by this Nationalist clique whose whole outlook is sectarian and is to-day helping to main ta in Sir Basil Brooke in power at Stormont . Only the working-class of all Ireland will solve the national and economic prob-

lems facing our people by capturing power, North and South."

"I am sure that many members of the British Labour Movement do not realise the type of propaganda used against Labour candidates in Northern Ireland," he concludes, quoting some examples f rom the election address of Mr. Conlon.

* * *

/ tERTAINLY it would be hard to find ' a more Fascist-minded document than Mr. Conlon's appeal to the Armagh electors in 1945.

Written in a "peculiar rhetorical style

composed of a mixture of the more purple passages from "Mein K a m p f " and an Ailtiri nah Aiseirighe proclama-tion it denounces Britain as a "seething cauldron of corruption" Irom which "Communism will ooze like a burst sewer pipe."

Mr. Agnew—who, incidentally, is him-self a Catholic—is attacked as an agen t f rom Moscow, and as member of a Pa r ty which threatens to lead the Chr is t ian people of South Down into the "crystal palaces of vice and pleasure" which ap-parent ly are so numerous in Godless Bri-tain, England itself is a "seed-bed ready for the vile henchmen of the Communis t Jew," and the Labour Par ty 'don ' t tell Mr. Bevin!) is "Infested with Commu-nistic activity."

"There are only two flags the Ham-mer and Sickle of the Communist Jew and the flag of our land," concludes Mr. Conlon, Joint Secretary of the Anti-Par t i t ion League.

* * * r | 1 0 the politically uneducated small

1 f a rmers and shopkeepers of Sou th Down th is election address may appear the very essence of Chris t ian s ta tesman-ship, but to the organised workers of Belfast , Dublin or Britain it smells sus-piciously like the rant ings of Dr. Goeb-bcls.

I t is encouraging to hear , despite the ' Jew-bait ing of Mr. Conlon and his fel-low-reactionaries on the Dublin "S tan-

dard," tha t anti-Semitism is making little progress in Ireland. In fact, there have been Labour protests in both Eire and Northern Ireland against recruit-ment of I r i shmen for the Palestine Police Force.

The activities of this force are of ten compared to the activities of the "Black and Tans." while the fight of the I rgun and Stern guerrilla groups against Bri-tish Imperialism are likened to the similar struggle of the I.R.A. twenty-five years ago. In New York Jewish and Irish exiles are collaborating in their

propaganda campaign against Bri tain 's Partition tactics.

* * * I MPERIALISM is running true to form

m the U.S.A., as it did in Bri tain and Germany. American Big Business made enormous profits during the war, and now when it is threatened with eco-nomic depression it launches an at tack on the Soviet Union and its own Labour Movement. Under new laws proposed in Washington the American trade unions are to be crippled industrially and poli-tically.

Hitler thought he could destroy Ger-man democracy and conquer the world. President T ruman might take a few les-sons from his fate.

* * * * ' R e d H u g h ' h a s been in P a r i s . H e

w i l l r e s u m e h i s ' H i g h l i g h t s ' f e a t u r e n e x t m o n t h .

THE IRISH DEMOCRAT May 1947

P A D R A I G P E A R S E

Dublin and Cork Show

the Way \ r O U N G worke r s and in te l lec tuals * in Dublin and Cork are jo in ing

the Labour m o v e m e n t in increas ing numbers .

Jim Lark in is an o u t s t a n d i n g ex-ample of t h e type of Labour leader who has e m e r g e d since the Civil War, whi le Michael C 'Riordan , a man still in his early th i r t ies , is widely recognised as C o r k s most p r o m i n e n t t r a d e union leader and Socialist .

B rendan C o r s h , L a b o u r s young-est T .D., a n d Sean Dunne, burly, outspoken Sec re t a ry of the Federa-tion of R u r a l Workers , are known all over Le ins te r for the i r fight to organise t h e ag r i cu l tu ra l workers.

Counci l lors Joe Deasy and Eleanor Butler are two of the most progres-sive members of Dubl in Corporation. Enthus iasts like Donal McGregor, C iaran 0 L e n a h a n , Patr ick O'Rei l ly, John Heery and B. Deegan, supply much of the d r i v i n g force in the Dublin L a b o u r Party. Heery is C h a i r m a n of the Dubl in Municipal Workers' Union and is associated with C r u m l i n Co-operative Scores.

Labour Journalist Sean Mulready, a young teacher,

Michael M c C o r m a c k , and Denis Walsh—son of T i m Walsh, well-known Connol ly Association mem-ber—are active in the Labour Y o u t h movement. M. C r e m i n and P. T ier -ney are two of Cork 's best known younger Socia l ists .

Two of the most responsible posts in the I r i sh L a b o u r movement—Edi -tor of " I r i s h People" and Secretary of the I r i s h T r a d e Union Congress are held by people who were stil l at school when Mr. de Valera came to power in 1932. S h e i l a Green, the Gate T h e a t r e actress turned journa-list, is d o i n g a difficult job with re-markable success. R u a d h r i Rob-erts, S e c r e t a r y of the T.U.C. , is an enthusiast ic supporter of the Co-operative movement.

H a r r y R y a n , 32-year-old metal worker, a n d H a r r y C r a i g ^ i s s i s t a n t editor of the "Bel l ," are popular speakers at open-air Labour meet-ings in Dubl in .

Progressives Noel Hartnett , the Dublin barr is-

ter, and Roger M c H u g h , U.C.D. Lec-turer in E n g l i s h , are noted younger leaders of the progressive Republi -can party, C l a n na Poblachta.

Grouped around the monthly, " I r i s h R e v i e w ' are a number of young I r i sh Marxists , inc luding sev-eral teachers, j o u r n a l i s t s and scien-tists.

Magnif icent pioneering work is be-ing done by m a n y young workers in provincial L a b o u r P a r t y and trade union b r a n c h e s w h i c h often get less publicity t h a n they deserve for their efforts to spread the principles of Social ism.

T h « future of I r i sh Labour is as-sured wi th s u c h youthfu l enthusi-asts c o m i n g Into Its ranks.

TOUT FOR LABOUR "Bliss Was It in That Dawn To But to be Young Was Very Heaven

n d e Alive,

POLITICALLY one of the * most encouraging signs in Ireland for many years has been the growing influx of young members into the Labour move-ment.

V i g o r o u s a n d e n t h u s i a s t i c , t h e s e n e w r e c r u i t s h a v e d o n e m u c h t o o f f s e t t h a t c y n i c i s m a n d w e a r i n e s s w h i c h h a v e u n f o r t u n a t e l y c h a r a c t e r i s e d s o m e of L a b o u r ' s v e t e r a n s . U n l i k e

T H O M A S D A V I S

m a n y o l d e r R e p u b l i c a n s , t h e y h a v e n o t b e e n m a d e b i t t e r a n d d i s i l l u s i o n e d b y t h e l o s s o f t h e C i v i l W a r a n d t h e l o n g r e t r e a t w h i c h f o l l o w e d .

Growing u p in a period of i n t e n s e capi-tal ist cr is is t h e y recognised in Socia l ism the only pos s ib l e f u t u r e for t h e working class: a n d h a v i n g seen the g r o w i n g pres-tige of t h e S o v i e t Union in wor ld a f f a i r s they a re n o longer f r i g h t e n e d , a s were some of t h e i r o lder and m o r e t imid com-rades. of t h e R e d Bogey.

Young w o r k e r s becoming ac t ive in such lively o r g a n i s a t i o n s as the U n i t e d Young Workers, Y o u t h Section, Cork Social is t Par ty . P r o m e t h e a n Society a n d N.I. Labour P a r t y Y o u t h Section, a r e no t in-terested in o ld p ro-Trea ty a n d a n t i - T r e a t y quarre ls or c o n c e r n e d abou t a n c i e n t in ter -nal feuds a n d fac t ion fights.

They expect from Labour 's leaders practical construct ive p lans instead of vague general isat ions, and a vigorous f ighting p r o g r a m m e on s u c h vital poli-tical a n d economic issues of the day as wages, employment , housing, emigrat ion and fore ign policy.

Young Ireland Ireland to -day . they po in t out , n e e ds a

new d e p a r t u r e a s m u c h as it ever did in 1848 or 1016-23. Polit ics a re d o m i n a t e d by men who c a m e in to public l ife 25 or 30 years ago. U n i o n i s t s have been in power a t S t o r m o n t s i n c e 1923. Mr de Valera h a s been P r i m e M i n i s t e r for 15 years , P i n e

-Gael is Mil of worn-out po l i t i c ians l igh t -ing ba t t les wh ich were se t t led by t h e T r e a t y .

L inked with t h i s d e t e r m i n a t i o n to t h r o w out til.- Old G a n g po l i t i c ians who h a v e fa i led lo solve n a t i o n a l a n d economic p r o b l e m s on bo th sides of t he Border , is a d e e p e r urge to r e s t o r e to t he n a t i o n t h a t b u r n i n g spiri t of idea l i sm w h i c h i l lumin-a t e d all our g r e a t R e p u b l i c a n a n d L a b o u r s t r u g g l e s in t he pas t . T h e flagrant co r rup -t ion inside F i a n n a Pai l , t h e misuse of t h e G a e l i c l a n g u a g e for the pu rpose of g e t t i n g jobs , the g rowing Hol lywoodisa t ion ot our n a t i o n a l cu l tu re , a n d t he b l a t a n t money w o r s h i p of big b u s i n e s s in bo th B e l f a s t a n d Dub l in h a v e s ickened m a n y of t he best of t h e I r i s h people w h o h a d placed s u c h g r e a t hopes in t he a c h i e v e m e n t of n a t i o n a l i n d e p e n d e n c e .

Youth's Ideals Dis i l lus ioned by th i s r e t r e a t f r o m t h e

i dea l s of t h e E a s t e r Ris ing , some of ou r y o u n g e r people h a v e sough t sa lva t ion in t h e fu t i l e m a r t y r d o m of t he I.R.A. or even s u c h Fasc i s t o r g a n i s a t i o n s a s Ai l i i r i n a hAise i r ighe , o t h e r s h a v e in te res t ed t h e m -selves in the G.A.A. hos te l s a n d An Oige. Scou t s , or t he revival of Gael ic . M a n y h a v e emig ra t ed , a few u n f o r t u n a t e l y accep t t h e c h e a p d rug of t he c i n e m a or nove le t t e a s cu re for t h e i r m e n t a l s ickness .

But the best of our y o u n g f a r m e r s , t r a d e un ion i s t s a n d in te l l ec tua l s a r e t u r n i n g t owards Labour . Few in n u m b e r s t h o u g h they m a y be at p resen t , yet it is upon this g r o u p of Socia l is ts still in the i r twent ies and ear ly t h i r t i e s t h a t t h e f u t u r e of I re land res t s . Youth has at all times been a period of

search, of hope, of idealism. Ii lias beer, a mean-spir i ted boy or girl leaving school who did not feel curious about the world or desire to improve it. Part icularly is this t rue to-day when the epoch of capitalism is pass-ing. and new forms of society are taking its place.

Socialist Philosophy Capital ism is an out-worn, dying system

which has already plunged the world into two ma jo r wars within twenty-live years, and which threatens, if not rapidly replayed by the Socialist system of planned economy, to destroy the whole civilised world in a series of devastat ing atomic-chemical catas t rophes.

Socialism is the only philosophy which can offer lo youth the creative possibilities and sense of hope which the world so desperately needs. Socialism believes in the idea of progress, of construction, of the essential rat ional i ty and goodness in men. It is not like private enterpr ise which glorifies the individual at the expense of the community , makes the few rich and the many poor, which drives continuously towards booms and s lumps and perpetual wars.

In youth there is a deep desire to learn, to build and construct . Capitalism, with l ' s unemployment , low wages and dead-end jobs, stifles this wish to create. Youth has a capaci ty for idealism and willingness to make sacrifices for their country. Capitalism bet rays this impulse by directing it into wrong channels such as aggressive wars, and thwar t s ihc impulse to work for the com-muni iy by making self-recking profit its highest aim.

Ireland needs and will get from its Labour Youth the same revolutionary will to build a new order of society which chaiacter ised the Young Irelanders and men and women of Easter Week.

J I M L A R K I N

YOUNG AND GALLANT WERE OUR REBELS

Hit-: : ( i

M I C H A E L O ' R I O R D A N

V O U N G a n d g a l l a n t w e r e m a n y if I r e l a n d ' s g r e a t e s t p a t r i o t s -Alien

t h e y f o u g h t f o r t h e i r n a t i o n ' s I) ' • d o m .

The R i s ings of 1798 a n d 1803 wen !<•« main ly by m e n still in the i r carl ' . Man i-i VVolle T o n e w a s only 35, and had p . i " 3 in to his few shoi t adu l t yea r s a wire t ime of pol i t ica l a n d m . h t a i y <•:•'>< when lie died in jail.

Robert E m m e t t was but a romant ic .>:sd you th fu l s t u d e n t when he mount 1 d gallows in T h o m a s St:. Dubl in , tit: -'n

morn ing in November , 1803.

Young I r e l a n d what p r o m m 1 :>• A

hopes and new ideals were in t i n ' — took its n a m e a n d insp i ra t ion I: 1 ' "' new. young l i g h t i n g Repub l i cans v • to r epud ia t e t h e s h a m e f u l bet r a j 1

ageing O 'Conne l l . T h o m a s D.i completed h i s l ife work a t the si: • J o h n Mitchel w a s only 33 when sen tenced to 14 years ' t r a n s p o i ' • 1848

The P e n i a n s a n d the L a n d Lea ; ' - ' largely o r g a n i s a t i o n s of y o u t h f u l Rep"^1" cans . M i c h a e l Dav i t t joined the I-vnians at 21, and was in his middle th i r t i es when he reached the peak of his power and in-fluence at the t ime of the New Departure.

I he rid :i0,

A, IS in

P a r n e l l w a s only 29 w h e n first elected to t he House of C o m m o n s a s member for M e a t h . He had become t h e wor ld - famous " U n c r o w n e d King of I r e l a n d ' ' before h e was 40.

Kevin Barry In 1916 and t he Civil W a r it was the

s p i r i t of you th fu l po l i t i ca l d y n a m i s m w h i c h forced t he Ris ing , bui l t Sinn Fein, a n d broke the power of R e d m o n d ' s Nat ion-al is ts . Connolly had s tood as Social is t c a n d i d a t e in E d i n b u r g h a n d formed t h e I r i sh Social is t Repub l i can P a r t y before he was 2G. Pearse was only 37 when executed, Col l ins had risen to be a guer r i l l a leader before he was 30, L iam L y n c h was Chief of S ta l l , I.R.A. a t 32. Mel lowes was a lmos t a boy when he led t h e R i s ing in Galwa.v, a n d Kevin Dai ry was only 18, a s t u d e n t a t N a t i o n a l Univers i ty , w h e n executed in 1920.

J a c k Naliy, Liam M c G r e g o r and Charl ie-Donne l ly were not long ou t of the i r t e ens w h e n they were killed fighting in the In-t e r n a t i o n a l Br igade a g a i n s t F r a n c o Fas-cism.

Republican and Labour Ireland owes m u c h to the courage a n d youthful ardour of her young men and women.

E M T C A T I O N ATRICK PEARSE, that great

rebel schoolmaster, placed great emphasis on the import-ance of education as a means of rebuilding national m o r a l e sapped by centuries of British occupation. As a p r a c t i c a l school-teacher, he gave a new conception to the country of the magnificent role which might be played by youth in reviving the country's economy and culture.

C o n n o l l y , t o o . w a s a s r e a t e d u c a -t i o n a l i s t , w h o a l w a y s s t r e s s e d t h e n e c e s s i t y f o r t h e w o r k i n g - c l a s s t o a c q u i r e t h a t k n o w l e d g e w h i c h w o u l d e n a b l e t h e m t o f u l f i l t h e i r d e s t i n y a s l e a d e r s of t h e p e o p l e . T h o u g h h e w a s f o r c e d t o l e a v e s c h o o l a t 14 a n d a l w a y s l e d a b u s y , h a r d - w o r k i n g l i f e , h e i n v a r i a b l y f o u n d t i m e f o r r e s e a r c h a n d s e r i o u s r e a d i n g .

Ireland to-day needs as much as it did 30 years ago a great drive to give education the paramount position it should hold in the nation's afTairs Our educational system both in Eire and the Six Counties must be t ransformed f rom top to bottom, and proper recognition given to the fundamenta l impor-tance of work done by our schoolmasters and mistresses.

Plan for Education The Labour movement 's demand lor edu-

cation reform is gaining increased support f rom the Irish people:

( l i State Education: Education lo be a S ta te responsibility with schools under the control of local authorit ies.

(21 New Schools: Hundreds of new schools muM be built. Teachers and Medi-cal Officers of Health have repeatedly warned a g a l n n the danger of crowding children together in verminous, damp and badly-heated schoolrooms.

(31 Smaller Classes: The aim should be a maximum of 20 in secondary and 30 in primary classes. Ii is humanly impossible for teachers to give proper a t tent ion lo classes at their present swollen size of 40 to 60.

14) School Meals: \ hot school meal and mill: should be available free for all school-childi'ell in the middle of the day. Experience in Britain during the war proves tha t children's health benefits | greatly from this regular mid-day meal a t school. Contrary to the arguments of Mr. Sean McKntee and the Hierarchy, school meals do not "break up family life" but s t renjf ihen it by enabling harassed work-ing-class mothers to have some leisure.

Teachers' Pay (51 More Pay for Teachers: Teachers of

both sexes deserve a minimum salary of r t least £ 6 a week rising to over ,£12. Only reasonable salary scales will a t t ract the best type of s tudent into the profession, and enable teachers to live in that security and dignity which is their right.

(61 Free Secondary and I niversity I.(lo-cat ion: Free Secondary and University education lo be available to all children who can benelit by it. Higher education

S . E . M A I T L A N D

mil! t n o l - i nce r b:* r e x r v e d . a s it is a t p r e s e n t , o n l y i u r t l r : i• v .ho c a n a lTord to p a y t o r i i .

Syllabus: Syllabuses to be altered to m e e t t h e d e m a n d s of o u r s c i e n t i f i c a n d t e c h n i c a l a g e . T e a c h e r s to be g i v e n m o r e sa;. in t h e v e x e d q u e s t i o n of c o m p u l s e r v Ir ish.

Dublin Strike M a n y younge r m e m b e r s of t he I r i sh

N a t i o n a l T e a c h e r s ' O i g a n i s a t on a r e deter-m i n e d . ha t educa t ion will n o longer be re-ga rded a s t he Cinderel la of t he profes-fess ions . L a s t yea r ' s seven m o n t h s ' s t r ike of t he D u b l i n t eache r s was a magn i f i cen t d e m o n s t r a t i o n of f igh t ing t r a d e un ion i sm. T h o u g h t h e s t r ike was d e f e a t e d it served to r e m i n d the publ ic of the in to le rab ly low wages p a i d to our na t iona l t eachers , and w a r n e d t h e G o v e r n m e n t t h a t t h e y could no t f o r eve r p e r m i t prices to soar while real wages d iopped .

L I A M M E L L O W S

E n c o u r a g i n g signs of a tcvival of pro-gressive t h o u g h t a re also to be found in t h e univers i t ies .

In T i i n i t y College there a r e two thriv-ing Lef t Wing groups in t he P r o m e t h e a n a n d F a b i a n Societies. Dr. Owen Shcehy-Skeflmgl.cn is a p rominen t Social is t mem-ber of t h e college s ta f f ; in Queen ' s Uni-versi ty, Be l fas t , Mr. T o m Cusack . a young Be l fas t schoo lmas te r , s t rongly cha l lenged a t t h e las t election Prof. Savory -one of t he m o s t b i t t e r - r e a c t i o n a r i e s which Nor-t h e r n I r e l a n d h a s ever sen t to the House of C o m m o n s .

Rebel Schoolmasters In Cork, despi te t he e f f o r t s of Prof

O 'Rah i l ly to keep I r e l and sa fe for Saluzar Fasc ism, severa l younger g r a d u a t e s have recently s u p p o r t e d O 'Riordan°s Socialist P a r t y . T w o well-known m e m b e r s of the I.N.T O. Dublin Cen t ra l B r a n c h a r e asso-cia ted w i th the Marx is t ' T i i s h Review."

T h e r e c e n t educa t iona l p r o g r a m m e issued by the. I N T O . Execut ive h a s met with a wa>m recept ion by progressive circles all over 1 'v land. In the Six Count ies Mr. J a c k Beat ! ' e . M.I ' , an I N T O . O l g m -iser. is widely lecogm i d as one of t he lead-ing spcke.sm-n of the Lef t Wing .

Rebel schoo lmas te r s have been symbols ol p rogress in I re land f rom the days of the hedge schools to St. Enda ' s . New Pearses a n d McDonaghs will ar ise in the r a n k s ot the I.N.T O. to give the nat ion s youth the call oncc aga in to revolut ionary act ion.

M A L A C H Y G R A Y

J O H N M I T C H E L

Belfast's Young

Socialists I N Belfast and a m o n g Ir.sh exiles 1 in Bri ta in, too, young men a n d women are :n t he f o r e f r o n t of t h e fight for SccUl i sm,

Teachers like , ' o m Boyle and T c m Cusack, t rade u n i o n i s t s like Malachy Gray and Joe Oorr igan , Repub l i cans like Harry D iamond a re known th roughou t the Six C . u n t i e s for the i r progressive v ews and s tubborn s t ruggle to oust t he Tories.

Catholic and P r o t e s t a n ; , worker a n d intel lectual , they are un i ted in their suppor t (or Labour and the i r hostil i ty to Imper i a l i sm.

Boyle is an ex-Dubl in Univers i ty s tuden t now ( e t c h i n g Iti Be. fas t a n d C h a i r m a n o! h e N.I. Labour P a r t y 32-year-old Tom Cusac'a, who polled 950 votes to Professor Savoiy 's 1,700 in the last election, is tipped as a po-tent ia l f u l u i e M.P. for Q u e e n s Universi ty; Alber : McElroy, f o r m e r associate of Midgley, is likely to be-come a growing force in Bel fas t Labour circles now tha t he h a s re-signed front the Commonwea l th La-bour Par iy .

Fiery Orator D.amoau, ui course, is an out-

s t a n d i n g tigu.-e in Six County poli-tics. His fiery o ra to ry , b u r n i n g s .n -ceri .y and v.gjcLUs p e r s o n a l l y have n iauc him leared a i .u cuslikca by die-h a r d s at S i o r m o n t .

Gideon Close, P res iden t of the Bel-fas t A.E.U., tv.alachy l i iay , Execu-tive member of t ,e A.T.G.W.U., Cj i r tmun:s t P i r t y arid Bel fas t T rades Council, Andy B i r r and Andy Holmes are act ive ieaders in t h e t r ade union m o v e m e n t .

Jii»i Morrow, w h o polled a big vote at the last e lec t ions aga ins t t he Un.onist c and ida t e , a n d Joe Corr i -gan, Secre tary , Nor the rn I r e l and Labour Par ty , a r e well-known Bel-f a s t Social ists w h o have risen to t h e top of the m o v e m e n t in the last ten years .

J im Pren t ie rgas t , f o rmer co-ed. tor ol "Ir ish F r e e d o m " vnth Aiec Digges, was one of t he y o u n g e r Irish l eade r s of the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Brigade.

Labour Pioneers Prominen t amo i .g tne progress ive

women of Be l fas t a n d active in t ne f ight for be t t e r hous ing and educa-t ional facil i t ies a re Mrs. Celia P. cn-de rgas t and Mrs. Saa .e Menzies, bo in of wiioin polled magn i f i cen t ly a g a i n s t t.ie Un ion i s t s in last y e a r s muaiutp. i l e lcc t icns .

Patr ick Cla iny a n d S. E. M illanrt a r e o u l s t a n d i n g amui ig the y o u n g Social is t l eaders of t he Connolly As-socia t ion in Br i t a in . S t i r red by Ihe example ol J a i n e i Connolly t h e y looli forward lo t he day when t h s y c a n r e t u r n h o m e lo build a co-opera t ive Social is t Workers ' Repub-lic.

Remember t h e n a m e s of these youthfu l Labour p ionee r s in Dubl in , Cork, Belfast a n d Br i t a in . M a n y of them m a y yet m a k e h is tory in I re land.

6 THE IRISH DEMOCRAT May, 1947

CAVAN BEAT KERRY Shels Again l5<000 a t Mitch am

Win Title From our Soccer Correspondent

MELBOURNE defeated Shamrock Rovers b \ two goals to one at

Milltown to gain the League of Iic-land championships title fo r the second t ime in seven years. They won it before in the season 1943-44. With this exception, Cork United has held it since 1940-41. Earlier in the season. Shelbourne won the City Cup. This second t r i u m p h was mer i ted and proves the i r consistency.

Missed Penalty T h r o u g h o u t t h e m a t c h Shels p layed the

superior foo tba l l and . while Rove r s missed a penal ty w h e n Coad shot wide. Shels gained t h e i r second goal f rom a pena l ty . She lbourne took the lead a f t e r 14 m i n u t e s b;it not before Breen in the Rovers ' goal li d made some magnif icent saves. T h e puce became h o t t e r in the next h a l f - h o u r as She lbourne con t inued to a t t ack . Shor t ly a l t e r the r e s u m p t i o n Coad missed the Rovers ' pena l t y a n d in the 22nd m i n u t e of the half S h e l s got their second goal. Th i s r a t h e r d a m p e d the Rovers ' lire but they pulled r o u n d and, with twelve min-utes to go, r e d u c e d the She lbou rne lead. However, S h e l b o u r n e de fende r s were able to hold on to t h e i r lead.

Breen in tire Rovers ' goal p roved h im-self still a n o u t s t a n d i n g goa lkeeper a n d Tapk in too, in goal for Shels b r o u g h t oil a spec tacu la r save to stop a shot by Coad.

Bet te r finishing by tfie Rovers ' f o r w a r d s might have won t h e m the g a m e ; a goal looked c e r t a i n fo r t h e m once w h e n B e h a n crossed to M u r r a y who, fac ing a n e m p t y goal, headed t h e ball over t he ba r .

BELFAST DRAW WITH GLASGOW

Belfas t Cel t ic drew 4-4 w i th Glasgow Celtic a t B e l f a s t las t month . S t a r of the m a t c h was B e l f a s t ' s reserve c e n t r e for-ward. Jones , w h o scored a h a t t r ick .

Al though t h e Bel fas t t eam played six reserves, t hey he ld a 4-2 lead shor t ly a f t e r hal f - t ime. G l a s g o w opened the score a f t e r e ight m i n u t e s w i th a goal f r o m Bogan . Jones equal ised for Belfast . McAloon pu t Glasgow a h e a d aga in , but J o n e s scored ano the r goal a n d , jus t before t he in terval , ! completed h i s h a t trick.

Af ter t he r e s t a r t Bonna r scored for Bel- ' f a s t but K i e r n a n a n d Bogan bi o u g h t the scores level fo r Glasgow.

Glasgow Cel t ic played Miller, t he i r in-t e rna t iona l goa lkeeper and also P a t s y Gal-lagher , son of t h e former Scot t i sh s t a r .

DUBLIN OR NEW YOR/i!

s> By MICHAEL RYAN

A R E C O R D crowd of 15,000 packed Mitcham Stadium, London, on Easter Monday to see Cavan beat K e r r y , the Al l - I re land champions, by

1 goal 11 points to 1 goal 6 points, T h e victory made C a v a n the holders of the Ward Cup for the second year in succession. There was no rain but the wind was very strong and at times the ball was completely carr ied away by it.

! T h e Ulster m e n deserved their v ic to ry for they finished t h e s t ronger t eam. A n o u t s t a n d i n g f e a t u r e of t he game was t h a t t h e r e were very f ew accidents . A l t h o u g h t h e compet i t ion w a s fierce the g a m e w a s c leanly played a n d a t all t imes it was c l e a r bo th t eams m e a n t to give the L o n d o n G a e l s an exhib i t ion of the finer p o i n t s of t h e game.

T h e s ta r p l aye r s were the two c a p t a i n s , v e t e r a n Big T o m O'Rei l ly playing a g r e a t g a m e in the f o r w a r d l ine for Cavan, whi le P a d d y Kennedy was a lways dangerous fo r K e r r y . Keohane , a K e r r y veteran, w h o h a s a number of Al l - I re land games to h i s credi t , played a g r e a t g a m e in the b a c k s ;

BOXER'S DIARY ^ ' A R R Y R O C H E . Wexford F e a t h e r

we.gi l t , w a s d e f e a t e d on poin ts by F redd ie Hick of Bermondsey , over e igh t ' hotly c o n t e s t e d r o u n d s a t the Wembley l Town Hall last m o n t h .

Roche w h o h a s been spa r r ing p a r t n e r , to A1 Phi l ips , t he Br i t i sh Empi re F e a t h e r c h a m p i o n , w a s very fit a n d seemed to fight j best w h e n h is back was on the ropes. His ! opponen t h a d a very good lef t hook bu t did not h i t wi th h i s knuckle .

It was a very even fight and, if R o c h e S i m o n De ignan in C a v a n ' s half -back line. h a d m a d e h i s a t t a c k earl ier , he would have won t h e decision.

" In view of Ike Wier ' s recent victor ies over h e r e a n d t he f ac t t h a t he holds a vic-tory over M o n a g h a n , I a m going to p u t h i s n a m e f o r w a r d for a n Uls te r t i t le fight.'' Jack J o r d a n . Wier ' s L o n d o n m a n a g e r to ld me las t week.

P r o m o t e r R o n a l d B a r n a t h a s told m e t h a t h e h o p e s to m a t c h J i m m y Ingle, t h e Dublin Midd lewe igh t , w i th Jack J o h n s o n of Br i t i sh G u i a n a , a t J e r sey t h i s m o n t h .

Dubl in we l te r weight , Mick M c C a n n , will s h o r t l y c l a im the v a c a n t Eire wel te r title, un l e s s someone r eady to fight h i m d i spu tes h i s c la im, said Jack Carey, h i s m a n a g e r .

F r edd i e Pr ice , G a l w a y Middleweight , will have h i s s econd London fight th is m o n t h , when h e fights Alber t F inch , a l ead ing Br i t i sh m i d d l e w e i g h t . A win for Price will put h i m in l ine for a Br i t i sh t i t le fight. Recen t ly h e w a s spai r ing p a r t n e r to J o e Baksi , t he A m e r i c a n heavyweight .

J i m L o n d o n , Swin lo rd middleweight , is now in s t r i c t t r a i n i n g a n d hopes to fight in Dubl in shor t ly .

P a d d y Dowdal l , ex -European a m a t e u r champion , is now doing well as a p rofes -sional in t h e N o r t h of Eng land . Recen t ly he f o u g h t a very close fight with T o m Smi th , of S u t h e r l a n d .

J o h n n y Ingle , Eire l igh twe igh t c h a m -pion, is a n x i o u s to r e d e e m himself before Engl ish l i g h t f ans , following his r e c e n t K.O. a t t h e h a n d s of Billy Thomson . He is t r a i n i n g h a r d a n d hopes to fight h e r e soon a g a i n .

P a t O C o n n o r , Ei re cru iser champion , boxed a d r a w in h i s first fight in Amer ica .

Af te r n e a r l y two years ' absence f rom the ring, J o h n n y W a i d of Roscommon h a s made a come-back a t t he Albert Hall, re-cently. He won his fight in g rea t s tyle f rom J o h n n y Russel l , of London.

M .F .R.

kep t the ball well f o r w a r d to Big T o m A f t e r 10 m i n u t e s K e r r y were two p o i n t s

up f r o m Garvey a n d O 'Connor , and a s t h e breeze was a g a i n s t t h e m it looked l ike a d a y of t r i u m p h for t h e Muns t e r men. S o o n a f t e r , Mick Higgs scored for Cavan a n d ve ry quickly evened t h e scores with a n -o t h e r point. T h e g a m e was now g e t t i n g ve ry f a s t as b o t h teams s t ruggled fo r s u p r e m a c y . T h e stiff breeze began to tel l a g a i n s t Kerry . A f t e r Cava* pointed f o u r more , K c i \ y scored a n o t h e r point m a k i n g t h e game a t h a l f - t i m e ; Cavan 0.6; K e r r y 0.3.

Tiring Wind In the second h a l f , Cavan t r ied t h e i r

bes t to keep the bal l low as they were n o w p lay ing aga ins t t h e s t r o n g wind. H e r e the i r s t r e n g t h told a n d thei r f o r w a r d s figured in a ser ies of g r a n d passes in w h i c h "Big T om ' ' s t a r r e d . Ker ry po in t ed , t h e n Cavan p o i n t e d a n d again K e r r y k icked over the ba r . Score now was K e r r y 0.5. Cavan 0.7.

Sho r t l y a f t e r t h i s t h e Ker ry f o r w a r d s m a d e a splendid a t t a c k , bea t ing Kelly a t t h e m o u t h of t h e C a v a n goal to a d d a goal to their score. A n o t h e r point by K e r r y l e f t t hem two p o i n t s u p bu t Cavan soon equal ised.

Despi te the f ac t t h a t he had been h u r t , P a d d y Kennedy k e p t t h e ball moving f a s t , | b u t h i s team were now t i r ing and a s t h e C a v a n fo rwards a t t a c k e d Higgins b e a t | O 'Kee f fe to add a goal . Cavan added t w o 1

f u r t h e r points w h i c h l e f t the score a t f u l l t ime , Cavan 1 goal 11 po in t s ; Ker ry 1 goa l 6 points .

T h e referee was M r . R. Baker. T h e s p e c t a t o r s were k e p t in touch wi th t h e g a m e by Mr. P. Cos te l lo of Limerick, w h o w a s Labour c a n d i d a t e fo r t he Dail in 1943.

Mr. Michael W a l s h appealed to t h e I r i s h here to e n c o u r a g e the i r ch i ld ren t o p l ay G.A.A. games . T h e n t he two c a p t a i n s spoke , each c o n g r a t u l a t i n g the o t h e r ' s t e a m .

SPOTLIGHT ON SPORT -By W.A.M.'

r j ^ H E decision of Congress to play th is year ' s Al l - I re land Senior Foo'br.U

Final in New York is causing keen con-troversy in I r i s h Gael ic circles. Dublin County B o a r d have a ' l e ady protes ted s t rongly a n d it is cer ta in t h a t o the r pro-tes ts will come f r o m many board mee t ings in the coming weeks.

T h e case for p lay ing the F ina l in New York is t h a t i t would s t i m u l a t e G.A A. activit ies in Amer ica and also t h e prospec t of a New York t r i p would provide keener competi t ion in t h e championsh ips . How-ever, I take t h e view tha t the final should be played a t h o m e and, if a New York m a t c h is cons ide red desirable, w h y no t send the finalists to New York to give an exhibit ion m a t c h ? Surely this would have the same e f fec t a n d sa t is fy everyone.

F O X ' S I I I S T O K l

Last m o n t h t h e "Ir ish D e m o c r a t " drew a t tent ion to T h e History of the I r i s h C i t i z e n Army by R . M. Fo*. The book Is published by Duf ly & Co. at 6/-, not 10/6, as was wronglj* s ta t td .

S W I M M E R S F O R O L Y M P I C ? T H E R E are possibilities of an Irish

| swimming team competing in the | Olympic Games. The Irish Amateu r ' S w i m m i n g Association have i n -structed the i r execut ive committee to consider the possibilities. The ques-tion of un i ty between the 26 counties

j and the Six Counties Boards came I under review at the same meeting, and de lega tes anxious for unity ex-pressed the view that it would be a benefit to both Boards and to Irish swimming.

C L O N L I F F E H A R R I E R S Clonliffe H a r r i e r s p lan a g r e a t e f - t h a n -

ever a n n u a l s p o r t s even t t h i s year, on 9 th July .

Among t h o s e who in t end compet ing a r e McDonald-Bai ley , A r t h u r Wint , S idney Wooderson, Wilson, Dalwimple a n d Alan P a t t e r s o n . I t is p robably too t h a t some of E n g l a n d ' s o u t s t a n d i n g lady s p r i n t e r s will t ake p a r t a n d e f fo r t s a re being m a d e to get t he f a m o u s F i n n i s h runners , P a a v o Nurn i a n d Viigo Heino.

I R I S H J U N I O R S The Scot t i sh Junior League beat the

F A. of Ireland Juniors by threv- goals to two at D a l y m o u n t P a r k last month.

T h e Ir ish J u n i o r s h a d most of t h e bal l b u t fai led to finish. T h e i r posit ional p l a y l e f t much to be des i red . T h e Scots w e r e b e t t e r in a t t ack a n d t h e i r fo rwards a l w a y s dange rous .

B I C Y C L E P O L O I r e l and de fea ted E n g l a n d 10—6 in a n

i n t e r n a t i o n a l bicycle polo m a t c h a t I v e a g h G r o u n d last m o n t h . F. Br igh ton , t h e E n g -l ish goalkeeper k e p t a br i l l iant goal a n d t h u s prevented E n g l a n d f r o m heavier de-f ea t .

J A M E S B R U E N I N J U R E D J a m e s Bruen, Cork , l a s t year 's w inne r of

t h e Open A m a t e u r c h a m p i o n s h i p , will be u n a b l e to defend h i s t i t le this m o n t h a t Ca rnous t i e , as h e h a s received a wr is t in-ju ry . I t will also w e a k e n t he Walker C u p t e a m as he will be u n a b l e to play in it. He expec ts to be o u t of t h e game for a b o u t six mon ths .

C O R R T R A N S F E R Pe te r Corr, D u n d a l k outside right, h a s

risen to f ame a l ter one season in Sen io r Soccer and is to be t r a n s f e r r e d to P r e s t o n N o r t h End.

Sports Notes should be addressed to the Sports Editor, "Irish Demo-crat." 150 Southampton Row.W.O.l. , and not to Mr. J a m e s Doyle.

News in Brief

FILM STARS TO ACT IN DUBLIN g U R G E S S Meredith and his wife.

Paulette Goddatd, are reported to be coming to Dubl in in J u l y to appear in a new play by J o h n Stein-beck. T h e subject of the play is not yet known, and the author is said to be still work ing on it.

* * *

T R E L A N D shou ld es tabl i sh t h e closest re-l a t ions w i th Belgium, Ho l l and a n d

Swi tze r l and , a s well a s c o u n t r i e s like Poland, Yugos lav ia a n d Czechoslovakia , said Mr. Warbev , Labour M.P . for Luton , speak ing r ecen t ly in Dubl in .

* * *

A I R . R O B E R T B R E N N A N , fo rmer ly ' I r i s h Min i s t e r in W a s h i n g t o n , h a s

r e t u r n e d to I r e l a n d to t a k e u p h i s new post a s Di rec to r of I r i sh b r o a d c a s t i n g . H e is pa r t i cu l a r l y in te res ted in p romot ing shor t -wave broadcas t s , b u t n o t for p ropa -g a n d a purposes .

Buckingham Palace 4 N U M B E R of I r i sh bu i ld ing worke r s

" ' a r e involved in the d i s p u t e a t Buck-i n g h a m Pa lace , where ex tens ive works a n d r e d e c o r a t i o n s a r e in progress . T h e London Council of t h e N.F.B.T.O. is ca l l ing for a. public enqui ry , d e m a n d i n g t h a t l abour a n d m a t e r i a l s be t r a n s f e r r e d t o t he hous -ing s i tes w h e r e they a i e so urgently-needed.

* * *

T ) E V . M G R . J O S E F T I S O , P r e s i d e n t of J ^ the G e r m a n - a p p o i n t e d Government, of Slovakia , w a s sen tenced to d e a t h last m o n t h by a Slovak N a t i o n a l Cour t . His. appea l fo r m e r c y to P r e s i d e n t Benes wa& r e j ec ted a n d h e was execu ted by h a n g i n g .

Death of 1916 Veteran r i E S M O N D F I T Z G E R A L D , former M l n -

ister for E x t e r n a l Affa i rs a n d Minister for Defence in the Cosgrave G o v e r n m e n t from 1922 to 1932, died last m o n t h at tha age of 59. He fought in the G . P . O . d u r i n g Easter Week a n d served several terms i n Br i t i sh pr isons.

* * *

V E W Y O R K ' S I r i s h - A m e r i c a n s h a d ' the i r g r a n d e s t p a r a d e ever on St. P a t -

r ick 's Day, over a million people w a t c h i n g t he m a r c h e r s , e s t ima ted to n u m b e r 80.000.

T ) O T T I N G E R (Bel fas t ) L a b o u r P a r t y 1 G r o u p h a v e passed a resolution,

s t rong ly oppos ing the g r a n t i n g of f u r t h e r powers to t h e p r e s e n t N.I. G o v e r n m e n t , as . " t h i s would m e a n the f u r t h e r e l imina t ion of t he m e a g r e f o r m of d e m o c r a c y exis t ing in th i s a r e a . "

Ireland's History in Song and Story

A g r a m o p h o n e rec ;tal of I r i s h Re-publ ican a n d Labour songs wil l be given at 12 L loyd Square, F i n s b u r y , London, W.C.1. (38 or 19 buses to F insbury T o w n Hal l ) at 8 p.m. on Saturday , 17th May.

T h e r e wil l also be a special exhibi-tion of historic issues of I r i s h and Br i t i sh Soc ia l i s t newspapers.

R e f r e s h m e n t s will be provided. T i c k e t s are strictly l imited (ad-

mission by ticket only) a n d wil l cost 2/6. Appl i cat ion should be m a d e at once to Mr. F l a n n C a m p b e l l , 12 L loyd Square, London, W.C.1.

Special Offer Out of p r i n t in Ireland and E n g l a n d :

'EASTER WEEK* —A His tory by B R I A N O NEIL

Only a l imi ted n u m b e r of copies Pr ice 2 6 .

a l s o J A M E S C O N N O L L Y T H E F O R E -

R U N N E R By R. M. F O X — 1 1 -

" H I S T O R Y O F T H E I R I S H C I T I Z E N A R M Y "

Price 6 6. (Book Dept. , " I r i sh D e m o c r a t . " )

C a s h wi th Order , P lease .

May, 1947 THE IRISH DEMOCRAT

American Irish Childhood

/ > y R O W N K I N D (Coll ins 9 6> is a first ' ' novel by Edward McSorley. T h e

.xjtor was born in Providence , R h o d e jsiund, a ci ty wi th a la rge I r i sh popu la t i on m;-' provides t he se t t ing for a l ine novel of 1 >i working-c lass people in t h e yea r s j „-! before a n d a l t e r t he first Wor ld W a r .

The story c e n t r e s r o u n d t h e f a m i l y of old Ned M c D e r m o t t , who l e f t I r e l a n d in tin middle of t h e las t c e n t u r y to seek a r„'W life in America . Most of t h e e m i g r a n t s who fled f r o m t h e F a m i n e worked wi th pjck and shovel, some b e c a m e pol icemen or in nor pol i t ic ians, b u t Ned swea ted away hi , life in a f o u n d r y un t i l h e d ropped a t t i e age of 70. A f o u n d r y acc iden t c la imed trv life of h i s son, whose wi fe h a d died in childbir th. Ned t h e r e f o r e t a k e s in to h i s home his o r p h a n e d g r a n d s o n Willie.

In a ser ies of r a t h e r loosely connec ted episodes, McSor ley tells t he s tory of h i s childhood a n d schooldays a n d h i s re la-tionship wi th h i s g r a n d f a t h e r . Ned is a splendid old m a n , loving h i s g r a n d s o n with a fierce in t ens i ty a n d d e t e r m i n e d to give h im a p rope r educa t ion so t h a t h e can escape f r o m t h e f o u n d r y l i fe a n d become

lawyer or a t eache r . A l t h o u g h Ned is illiterate, h e wor sh ip s l e a r n i n g a n d does a|i he c a n to he lp a n d e n c o u r a g e Wil l ie ; some of the m o s t h e a r t - r e n d i n g pages of Die book descr ibe how he t r i e s to h ide f r o m Willie h i s own i l l i teracy.

Vivid Characters Both c h a r a c t e r s a r e richly a n d sensi t ive-

ly drawn, a n d t h e novel r a n g e s over a wide c a n v a s to give u s t h e l iving back-ground of I r i s h - A m e r i c a n l i fe w i th a score ol vivid c h a r a c t e r s k e t c h e s of f r i ends , n :.itive:> a n d hange r s -on , cops a n d old women—all rea l h u m a n beings , not t h e pule puppe t s so o f t e n p r e s e n t e d in pseudo-"Irish" novels. T h e pub l i she r ' s b lu rb t a lks about t le f ami ly " losing n o t h i n g of t h e child-like c h a r m , t he gene ros i ty a n d magical i m a g i n a t i o n of t h e i r t r u e Celt ic oi iain." Celt ic t hey are, a n d gene rous too. biit thev a re a t t r ac t ive , prec ise ly because the a u t h o r h a s no l ime for p h o n e y "chi ld-like c h a r m " — h e c rea t e s rea l people, good, decent, h a r d - w o r k i n g folk, a n d descr ibes their s t rugg les a n d t ragedies , t he i r loyal-tics and the i r weaknesses , en l iven ing h i s tale wi th a n e c d o t e s a n d sp ic ing it w i th a dash of work ing-c lass h u m o u r .

McSorley obviously h a s a n i n t i m a t e knowledge of t he people h e wr i t es a b o u t and he h a s a pa r t i cu l a r l y keen i n s igh t i n to the p a r t p layed in the i r lives by t h e Catholic C h u r c h , reca l l ing how t h e I r i s h national s t r u g g l e for f r e e d o m a n d the fight of the e m i g r a n t in A m e r i c a fo r fu l l ci t izen-ship v ^ r e b~' ind up wi th t h e s t rugg le fo r religicus f r eedom. Ned r e m i n d s Will ie how n i i-19i h c e n t u r y I r i sh -Amer i cans h a d to s ta id g i u r d all n i g h t to p r even t an t i -Cathol c. m o b s f r o m t e a r i n g down t h e i r chu rches a n d convents , a n d h a v i n g l e a r n t from l is own exper ience t h a t f r eedom a n d tolerance a r e indivisible, h e sadly a n d angrily r e b u k e s his g r a n d s o n for t a k i n g part in a hool igan a t t a c k on a n inoffensive old Je.v. I t is t he task of educa t i on to overcome ignorance a n d p re jud ice .

Fighting Spirit Willie is b r o u g h t up in a n a t m o s p h e r e

of mi l i t an t na t i ona l i sm, b u t h i s y o u t h f u l ideas a i e still r a t h e r c o n f u s e d w h e n Ned dies. T h e novel e n d s on a n o t e of t r a g e d y ; Willie faces a n uphi l l fight t o comple te h i s educat ion, b u t we can be su r e h e h a s ab-sorbed e n o u g h of h i s g r a n d f a t h e r ' s fight-ing spi r i t to enab le h i m to win t h r o u g h .

I have only one cr i t ic i sm to m a k e of t h i s fine novel. I t would have been s t r e n g t h -ened h a d t h e a u t h o r devoted m o r e a t ten t ion to Will ie 's Uncle P a t , a Socialist moulder w h o dies a f t e r be ing horr ib ly beaten up w h e n the police a t t a c k a n open-air meet ing . He r e p r e s e n t s all t h a t is best in the I r i sh -Amer i can work ing class, a n d it is a g r e a t pity t h a t he a p p e a r s only a s a minor c h a r a c t e r .

A.G.K.L.

Plough and Pasture \ \ T H E N and where did m a n first till t h e ' ' soil? W h a t were the f i rs t a n i m a l s to

lx domes t i ca t ed? How did m a n acqui re his skill in s tock-breed ing?

Such ques t ions a : e of vi tal in te res t to a country like Eire whose p rospe r i t y d e p e n d s mainly on agr icu l tu re , while even in Nor th-ern I r e l and ag r i cu l t u r e is t h e la rges t single indus t ry . E. Cecil Curwen a n s w e r s these ques t ions in a f a s c i n a t i n g a n d well i l lustrated book. Plough and P a s t u r e (Cobbctt Press 7/6), t r a c i n g t he develop-ment of ag r i cu l t u r e f r o m the d a w n of civ lisiition lo tile m a c h i n e age.

The a u t h o r dea l s pa r t i cu l a r l y wi th Nor th -Wes te rn Europe, a n d a l t h o u g h he do«\s no t seek to l»y down a n y specific IKilicy lor t he f u t u r e , his book should be read by all who a re i n t e r e s t ed in the f u t u r e of I r ish ag r i cu l tu re . If I r e l a n d is to go loi ward, i t s a g r i c u R u r e m u s t be m e c h a n -ised a n d modern i sed . C u r w e n shows us tha t no th ing in t h i s world r e m a i n s s ta t ic , and t h a t a s tudy of t he p a s t helps us to u n d e r s t a n d t he p rob lems of t he p r e s e n t and plan for t h e f u t u r e .

S.E.M.

Mollser, Gertie — and Chrissie

I ) O O R pale Mollser of "The P lough a n d • The S ta r s " - c a n we ever fo rge t t h a t

res igned c o n s u m p t i v e figure, wrapped in he r shawl a n d p r o p p e d up outs ide t h e t e n e m e n t ra i l ings to get a whiff of a i r d u r -ing t he cur few? S h e is one of t he t e r r i b l e symbols of living d e a t h in t he D u b l i n backs t ree ts , and of t h e chronic d e s t i t u t i o n w h i c h O'Casey put on the s tage back in t he 1920 s. T h e n , t h i n k of t h a t o t h e r t e n e m e n t young-one . wee Ger t i e Mac-Dowell, t h e baby-minder , immorta l i sed by Joyce in his saga of Dubl in ' s c rudi ty .

To these c r e a t i o n s of the back lanes , Maur a Laverty h a s added a vivid l i t t le personal i ty . S h e is Chr iss ie Doyle, ch i ld of t he Dubl in s l u m s in t he 1940's. Chr i s s ie is a beau t i fu l ly conceived study in a well-cons t ruc t ed b u t h e a r t - s e a r i n g book.

Liffey Lane

II F F E Y Lane , once a g rand avenue of -i m e r c h a n t s ' houses , now has two rows

of h u m a n dwel l ings . On one side, tene-m e n t s t eeming w i t h t h e s t ruggles of pov-er ty a n d s k i m p i n g : on the o the r—coach-men ' s q u a r t e r s a n d up- to-date flats w h e r e t he (more c o m f o r t a b l e > lower-middle classes live. T h e backg round to t h i s s i tua -tion (pp. 34 a n d 35 < is m a s t e r f u l l y sketched- in .

T h e p rox imi ty of the i r homes m a k e s ihe i r lives i n t e r t w i n e . As Clarke, he r Ci ty journa l i s t , a d m i t s : "Having t he mise ry before your eyes s o f t e n e d you. W h e n you weren ' t b rough t in to ac tua l con tac t w i th it, you were able to ignore it . . . even per-suade yourself i t d i d n ' t exist."

L I F T UP Y O U R G A T E S ( L o n g m a n ' s 8 6' won ' t let t he r e a d e r ignore the exis t -ence of these b l i gh t ed buds of ch i ldhood . You don ' t even h a v e to get off the boa t -t r a i n to-morrow a t W e s t l a n d Row to be convinced t h a t t h e y a r e a lways wi th us, d i r ty and u n k e m p t , products of ou r "Chr i s t i an Socie ty ." the ba re foo ted chiselers on t he t o u c h for a copper or a bit of food. T h i s l iving sed iment of t h e back-alleys, a beques t of ha ted Saxon rule, which a n I r i sh N a t i o n a l G o v e r n m e n t would soon abol ish! Here they are s t i l l — h u m a n fodder for o r p h a n a g e , reform-school , soup-k i tchen a n d t he emig ran t - sh ip . P lus ca change , plus e 'est la meme chose. Mis s Laver ty ' s p o r t r a i t u r e is more compel l ing t h a n newspape r r e p o r t i n g .

Realistic Dialogue

1E S T I do t he book a disservice, le t me j sav the re is n o obvious p r o p a g a n d a in

it. You can a l m o s t h e a r her c h a r a c t e r s speak ing , so well is t h e dialogue p r e s e n t e d —the voices, the emphas i s , the i r l i t t le t u r n s of express ion . Ma t t i e Herl ihy, t he grocer ' s cu ra te , in love wi th h i s m o t h e r , who loses h i s r e a s o n : Mrs. Ha r t e , t h e sophis t ica ted grass -widow who fa l ls in love wi th local Don J u a n : Dubl in ' s "clever

people." the t e n e m e n t families, ex-soldier, Billy Bunch t h e scholar fa l len on h a r d t imes, the n u n s , Kevin-somebody 's illegiti-m a t e baby-boy al l a r e qui te ' m f o r g e t a b l e . And r u n n i n g t h r o u g h th i s impress ion i sm, so peculiarly of Dubl in , with the smi le and the t ea r a l t e r n a t i n g , is Chr iss ie hersel f , del iver ing he r even ing newspapers , a leit-motif of p o i g n a n c y a n d levity, l ac ing t he lives of the H a v e s a n d the Have-nots . T h e p a t t e r n is a m o d e r n celtic t r ace ry ol silver a n d muck.

I n the wr i t ing of th is novel, c a r e a n d onerous l abours h a v e h a d the i r r e w a r d . By a d e f t s t roke Mis s Laver ty m a k e s a pe r son come to life. Her style is flowing, t h o u g h re s t r a ined . Her cons t ruc t ion , for fiction, impress ive: t h e doveta i l ing of episode a n d c h a r a c t e r - d r a w i n g a re a t r i u m p h of c r a f t s -m a n s h i p . I n " L i f t Up Your G a t e s " Miss Laver ty h a s m a d e a fine con t r ibu t ion to t he a r t of t h e novel. I have no hes i t a t i on in p rophesy ing t h a t it will be a las t ing one. Also, t h e r e is a g r e a t film here, If only film-producers h a d the sense . . . I c a n visual ise a s c reen mas te rp iece on the scale of Poil de C a r o t t e or My Universi t ies. But . alas, t he r e ' s l i t t le m o o n s h i n e or g u n - m e n or playboy t a lk here . Jus t pla in people in t he l ight a n d s h a d e of deadly super s t i t i on , t he fear of l iving a n d the hope of d e a t h . So, really, how could they?

Antique Satire T H E U N F O R T U N T E F U R S E Y (Pilot J - press , 8 6) by Mervyn Wall, is a very-

d i f fe ren t s tory . T h i s p romis ing Dubl in wri ter h a s been very clever a n d employs a n t i q u e c ler ical convent ions . bes ides T h o m o n d , C a s h e l a n d Clonmacnoise , to fox the Censo r sh ip ' s fee lers a n d snouts . So. t h e a u t h o r places his he ro in 11th cen-tu ry monas t i c I r e l and a n d b a r b s h i s arrows, in effect , a imed a t 20th C e n t u r y clerical cont ro l . T h e crazy s i t u a t i o n s and m a d p a r a d o x e s to which rel igiosi ty a n d w i t c h - h u n t i n g c a n lead reek of t he se t -up we know so well. I r i sh l i t e r a tu re h a s a long t r ad i t i on of t he c r y p t o g r a m a t i c a n d the sat i r ic , couched in innocen t - seeming dress. Mr.' W a l l successful ly b r ings off h i s sat i re , a n d t h e cu t e reader c a n see t h r o u g h his "d isguises" to w h a t he is real ly d r iv ing at . I t ' s a p i ty h e h a s t aken r e f u g e in t h e a n c i e n t idiom, because his use of d ia logue a n d con t ro l of t he modern shor t - s to ry technique show h e m i g h t be a power fu l polemic wr i t e r . A spade is a lways a spade in I r e l and , a n d to r e -name it by some l l t h - C e n t u r y synonym, seems to me to sh i rk the issue.

Mr. Wal l ' s n e x t book migh t prof i t f r o m a s tudy of Mis s Laver ty ' s a l t i t u d e to he r subjec t .

LESLIE DAIKEN

Plays, Pictures and People

/ (OMING a t a m o m e n t when in t e r -V na t iona l Box ing h a s given us t h a t lovely express ion "sucker -punch ." U n i t y T h e a t r e h a s ach ieved a happy top ica l i ty wi th its c u r r e n t p roduc t ion of Golden Boy by Clifford Ode ts . T h o s e who have seen "Wai t ing for L e f t y " will know t h a t O d e t s h a s c rea ted a s tyle ol dialogue un ique fo r its punch a n d vi ta l i ty . It is the poe t ry of the sidewalk, t he sa loon bar or the boxing r i n g : f rom the m o u t h s of an a m a z i n g as-s o r t m e n t of sma l l - t ime phi losophers , broads, shabby p r o m o t e r s and bewildered little people, t h e r e tumbles out a wea l th ol down-town i m a g e r y a n d h e a r t - b r e a k i n g lyricism.

I t is a s t r a n g e u n h a p p y play of s t r a n g e u n h a p p v people c a u g h t up in t h e fight racket : a play of people fighting a n d hop-ing of a s t r a n g e elusive s t r a in ing for a be t te r life, a n d of ceaseless f r u s t r a t i o n . I t is a play of i n a r t i c u l a t e protest . . . I say inar t i cu la te because , for all the br i l l iance of Odels ' d ia logue, he c h a r a c t e r s r e m i n d me f requen t ly of h u r t d u m b a n i m a l s who give vent to s n a r l s a n d whines of p a i n wi thou t u n d e r s t a n d i n g why or how they a re being h u r t .

I cannot speak too highly of th i s produc-tion which is one ot t he best p e r f o r m a n c e s of a working-c lass p lay I have eVer seen. T h a n k vou Uni ty , a n d thank you Ellis Solomon tor a vciv fine product ion. In-r id rn ta l lv . "The E n e m i e s " by Maxim G o r k i is one of Uni ty ' s f u t u r e product ions . * * *

I AST m o n t h saw the first public p roduc-I > lion of the Ir ish Amateur T h e a t r o

G r o u p sponsored by t he Connolly Associa-tion. a g roup of e n t h u s i a s t i c young a c t o r s organised by Miss Molly O T e a r v w h o a r e anx ious to p roduce plays of I r i sh i n t e r e s t and who hopw even tua l ly to provide t h e basis for a n I r i s h Theartre m o v e m e n t in. EngWnd.

I

T h e i r first v e n t u r e was a p roduc t ion of O Casey 's S h a d o w ol a G u n m a n . " Miss O 'Leary h a s succeeded in g a t h e r i n g a cas t of no small ab i l i ty ; t he i r ac t ing was un-polished a t t i m e s but sheer h a r d work and e n t h u s i a s m m a d e th i s a very c red i t ab le offering. M u c h of the success m a y have been due to t h e O'Casey l ines wh ich are a lways good for a laugh but neve r the l e s s there was a p leas ing sinceri ty a n d spon-tanei ty abou t mos t of the cast , pa r t i cu la r ly in t t e more h u m o r o u s scenes, a l t h o u g h s o m t ' o f the m o v e m e n t v.as stiff a n d a t t imes the d ia logue left m u c h to be desired.

* * *

r P O producer Deidre Hal l igan. late of the 1- Abbey, a br ickbat for m a s k i n g some

very i m p o r t a n t scenes beh ind a table, but a very large bouquet for her r e n d e r i n g of the young s l u m girl in love wi th the Shadow. S h e gave us m u c h of the p a t h e t i c qual i ty of t h e c h a r a c t e r a n d he r ac t ing was even more impressive t h a n he r pro-ducing. S p a c e forbids detai led m e n t i o n of o ther players , but the cas t was a s follows: Donal Davoreen ; Brendan Quinn, S c u m a s Shie lds Ian Coyle, T o m m y Owens : David Horland, A d o l p h u s G n g s o n Fred Mackay, Mrs. G n g s o n : Bcrna Young, Minn ie Powell: Dcidre Hall igan, Mr. Mul l igan : Bill McCabe, Mr. Magui re : Tom Fra in , Mrs. H e n d e r s o n : Ann Healy, Mr. Gal -l agher : Pat Murphy , An Auxi l iary; Fred Smi th .

Wi th more exper ience , conf idence and lots of r e h e a r s i n g , th i s g roup may well be the beg inn ing of someth ing really worth-while a n d I look f o rward wi th g rea t in ter-est to the i r n e x t product ion . M e m b e r s h i p is not conf ined to Connolly Associat ion suppor te rs , b u t is open to all who a r e in teres ted in the I r i sh t h e a t r e a n d all b r a n c h e s of s tage work. Ful l de ta i l s may

(CanUnaed Id Next Column)

'THE GROUP' I F you strol led down B r o a d w a y earl;, in ' t h e twen t i e s or even la te in t he th i r t . e s ,

as t he dusk crept slowly d o w n the a v e n u e s you c a m e suddenly to Broadway—' .he G r e a t W h i t e Way. O v e r h e a d the l i g h t s twinkled , tumbled a n d danced , r a c e d mad ly ahead , sudden ly s t opped , s t a r t e d , t u r n e d Cather ine wheels, u n t i l the n i g h t sh r i eked wi th crazy s h a f t s of l a u g h i n g l ight a n d you knew t h a t he re , r igh t h e r e in t he h e a r t of New York ' s g r e a t t h e a t r e -l and was t he Answer—the G r e a t A m e r i c a n Myth , t h e wonder fu l success s tory of ge t -r ich-quick. of boy mee t s g i r l a n d boys g e ' s girl . I t was t he t ime of t h e w o n d e r f u l legend, t he t ime of your life, t h e tir. e of the good t ime.

Theatre Guild On Broadway, T h e a t r e , if you spoiled i t

wi th a cap i ta l T a n d d i d n ' t m e m srr l -shows. m e a n t the New Y o r k T h e a t r e Gn ;d, a n o rgan i s a t i on long spec ia l i s ing in ex-p e r i m e n t a l and a d v a n c e d t h e a t r e , f o r m a n y yea r s the recognised s t a : t ing nl.ice for a n y t h i n g t h a t was progress ive in Amer i can Thea t r e .

T h e T h e a t r e Guild, however , in t h e op in ion of m a n y young t h e a t r e workers , lacked policy or d i rec t ion a n d h a d n o fac i l i t ies for long-term t r a i n n g of a c t o r s nor for the re ta in ing of p r o m i s i n g young a c t o r s not actual ly on t h e payrol l of t h e c u r r e n t product ion .

And so on the m o r n i n g of J u n e 8th, 1931, twen ty -e igh t actors , s o m e wives, two c h . l d r e n a n d three d i r ec to r s t o g e t h e r w i th a few f r i e n d s set out by ca r f r o m t h e T h e a t r e Gui ld and t rave l l ed t o Brookf le ld Cen t r e . Connect icut , w h e r e t h e y set up a c o m m u n i t y cen t re a n d l iv ing co-operat ively f o u n d e d w h a t was l a t e r to become k n o w a t h r o u g h o u t the world a s the G r o u p T h e a t r e .

The Fervent Years Of the i r adventures , t r i bu l a t ions , h e a r t -

r e n d i n g fa i lures and t h e e v e n t u a l sweep t o f a m e of th is audac ious v e n t u r e . Harold C l u r m a n , one of the t h r e e di rectors , pro-vides a f a sc ina t ing r ecord in his book, " T h e F e r v e n t Yea r s " ( D e n n i s Dobson, 12 6>.

C o m m e n c i n g as a g r o u p w i t h no m e r e i m m e d i a t e in teres ts t h a n t h e a d v a n c e m e n t of t h e i r d r a m a t i c a r t , t h e G r o u p T h e a ' r e developed into a m o v e m e n t whose effect was fel t across the world f r o m G r e e n w i c h Village to Gold ing ton S t r e e t . Young , ac t ively ant i -Fasc is t p l aywr igh t s , p a r t i c u -larly d u r i n g t he S p a n i s h War , a d d e d s t r e n g t h to the g rea t u p s u r g e of h o u e which swept m a n y in t e l l e c tua l s in to t h e c a m p of the working class . I t is a m a t -ter of sad regret how m a n y dese r t i ons t h e r e h a v e since been.

T h e s tory of the G r o u p is largely t h e s tory of the rise and , one m i g h t a l m o s t say, fall , of Clifford Ode t s . I t was p lays s u c h a s "Wai t ing for L e f t y , " "Golden Boy' ' a n d " T h e Gent le People" w h i c h swept t h e G r o u p to fame. One m u s t r e m e m b e r , how-ever, t h a t the G r o u p T h e a t r e was t he first real ly to adop t the g r o u p s y s t e m of pro-duc t ion . abol ishing t he s t a r sys tem h i t h -e r t o considered essent ia l fo r a good r u n . T h e success of th is u n i q u e m o v e m e n t a n d its S tan i s l avsky m e t h o d s b r o u g h t a h o s t of i m i t a t o r s a n d successors , a n d d u r i n g u s all-too-brief ten yea r s ' exis tence t h i s e x t r a o r d i n a r y e x p e r i m e n t con t r ibu t ed m u c h to the modern t h e a t r e .

T h i s is a book to buy a n d cher i sh . I t c o n t a i n s a weal th of i n t e r e s t i n g m a t t e r for all r eaders who a r e i n t e r e s t ed in t h j t h e a t r e or in o u t s t a n d i n g figures of t h e Amer ican l i terary scene.

A.D.

B O O K S reviewed on t h i s page may be ordered f rom the Book Depar t -m e n t , "Ir ish Democra t , " 150 South-a m p t o n Row, London, W.C.1. Cash with order, please. Pos tage extra .

(Continued from Frcrcdlng Column)

be ob ta ined f rom Miss O 'Lea ry , c o I n s i i D e m o c r a t office.

i D M I R E R S of O 'Casey p lays will be - ' able to see his latest play. Oak Leaves a n d Lavender , a t the H a m m e r s m i t h Lyr ic T h e a t r e in the middle of May. T h e r e h a s been m u c h controversy a b o u t th i s p lay, but I a m reserving j u d g m e n t unt i l I h a v e ac tua l ly seen it p e r f o r m e d on t he s t age . W h a t e v e r you may t h i n k a b o u t it f r o m r e a d i n g the script , go a n d see it. T h e p ro -duce r is Rona ld Kerr , a n d t h e cas t inc ludes F red J o h n s o n i f o r m e r l y of the G a t e ) , M a r y Hin ton a n d She i l a S i m .

ALEC DIGGES

i

R THE IRISH DEMOCRAT May, 1947

•Shop and Distributive Workers' I'11:1m. MISS HETTY SINCLAIR (Ucllastl wlm spoke at the Easter Conference of (lie

Labour Unity in Wicklow

^ I X T Y delegates f rom all pa r t s of Wick-low met in Ra thd rum last month to

discuss ways and means of uniting La-bour's ranks. After three hours ' debate it was unanimously agreed t h a t Labour and National Parties Executives should be urged to meet to "give tangible expression to the unanimous desire of r ank and file workers to have a united Labour Party in Ireland."

Delegates included Mr. R. Connolly, the Treasurer of the Irish Labour Party, and Mr. J . Everett, T.D., Nat ional Labour.

R a t h d r u m is a historic town in which Pa m e 11 held many of his first public meet-ings.

# * *

1 I R WILLIAM NORTON, leader of the -*-«- I r i sh Labour Party, h a d encouraging news to report when he told his Admini-strative Council the resul ts of his recent "fuel crisis" visit to London. Paying tri-bute to the cordial reception given to Mr. Larkin. Senator Kyle and himself , he said tha t they had got an immedia te consign-ment of coal which would save Dublin's gas supply.

* * *

I A U B L I N Trades Council has launched a campaign to raise £50,000 for a Lar-

kin Memorial Hall which would be used for cultural, educational and social pur-poses. So far, this great city with over 50,000 organised workers has only got one suitable trade union centre, the Four Pro-vinces House in Harcourt Street. The Irish Transport and General Workers' Union should rebuild Liberty Hal l as a monu-ment to James Connolly.

' T H E I r i sh National Teachers ' Congress -*- last mon th passed a motion that four

F ianna Fai l T.D.'s who a re members ol their t r ade union and voted for the Gov-ernment last October—when the Dublin teachers ' strike was debated in the Dail— should be expelled. The T.D.s affected are Messrs. D a n O'Rourke, Roscommon, Cor-mac Breaa thnach and Berna rd Butler, Dublin and Donal O'Donoghue, Kerry.

* * *

J D R I T I S H miners are now producing over 4,000,000 tons of coal weekly. This mag-

nificent effort augurs a bright future for this nationalised industry.

\ J ANY Ir ish building operat ives will re-x l member Mr. Bob Nisbet, late of the London Hostels Central Committee. I hear from Scotland that Bob, now an organiser in the plasterers' union, is originator of a system which is saving t housands of man-hours on Glasgow Corporat ion 's biggest building jobs.

DON'T FORGET to send a subscription to o u r

FIGHTING FUND !

After you have read it, send your copy of " IRISH . DEMOCRAT" home.

"Workers of the World Unite

ORIGINS OF MAY By P. J. CLANCY

T H E story of May-Day goes back to the dawn of history. On the May-' Day festival the ancient Greek paid homage to the Gods and Goddesses

of fertility, For the hunter it meant more game in the forest; for the fisherman it meant the melting of ice in rivers and lakes; for the herdsman it meant more green fodder and the replenishing of flocks.

Ancient peoples

9>

identified t l iomu'lvcs with Nm ;:rc, and hoa-ctCt! eel the season of fer t i l i ty . May De.y festivals held in feuda l times rs ex fewer alter t he Indust r ia l R 'volution, but in t he West of I re land 10 this day the peasant ry decorate themselves with wild flowers.

Eight-Hour Day In 1884 the fourth Congress of

American Trade Unionis ts held 111 Chicago, put forward the de-mand for the eight-hour day—a demand which met wi th violent hostil i ty from American capitalists.

T h e first strike for t he eight-hour day took place on May Day. 1886, and on May 4th 50,000 workers went on strike in Chicago. A ma?s meet ing was held in Haymarket Square to protest against the murder of six workers by company detec-tives a t the McCormich plant .

Police provocateurs threw a bomb into the crowd resulting in great loss of life.

Responsibility for th is outrage was placed upon the workers ' leaders, four of whom. Spies, Parsons, Fischer and Engel, were hanged.

August Spies' last words as he mounted the scaffold will live forever in the history of the working class: "There will come a t ime when our silence will be more power-fu l t h a n the voices you a r e strangling to-day."

Paris Commune In 1888 the American Federat ion of La-

bour met in St. Louis, and decided to hold an annua l May Day demonst ra t ion in sup-port of the demand for t he eight-hour day. A year later—in 14th July, 1889, the cen-tenary of the French Revolution—the In-ternat ional Socialist Congress meeting in Paris passed a resolution calling upon the workers of all lands to demonstrate for the eight-hour day.

T h e workers responded magnificently, and the following year great meetings were held in most European countries. Europe's capitalist, par t icular ly in F iance where memories of t he Paris Commune were still vivid, were horrif ied at this in-dication tha t the slogan "Workers of All Lands, Unite!" was a t last becoming a reality.

I n many cases workers who absented themselves from factor ies were victimised, so reformist Labour leaders pressed tha t the demonstrations should take place on the first Sunday in May.

For Ireland May Day has become in-dissolubly linked with the annual com-memoration of the execution of James Connolly which took place on May 12th, 1916. This year May Day will be as important

as ever. Workers will ma rch all over Europe, and huge demons t ra t ions will take place in Paris and cen t ra l and eas tern Europe. In Dublin the re will be a mon-ster parade of 20,000 t r ade unionist, while in London there will be a great rally to Hyde Park organised by the London Trades Council. But the biggest demon-s t ra t ion of all will be in Moscow's famous Red .Square past the t o m b of Lenin.

C o n n o l l y

( J o n i n i c m o r a t l o i i

MANCHESTER: Rusholme Public Hall

Sunday, 11th May, at 7 p.m.

Members of West London Branch, Connolly Association assemble for their May-Day march to Hyde Park

In Search ol Irish Coal

V O r a i l w a y s — e x c e p t t h e G.N.R. ^ l i n e N o r t h . T h e coa l c r i s i s h a d s t r u c k D u b l i n as h a r d a s L o n d o n . B u s q u e u e s w i n d i n g l ike s e a - s e r p e n t s . I e v e n t u a l l y r e a c h e d D r u m s h a m b o a l o n g s i d e t h e d r i v e r of a c o a l - w a g o n —a c o a l - w a g o n r e t u r n i n g e m p t y to b r i n g a f r e s h l oad of I r i s h c o a l f r o m A r i g n a in t h a t l i t t l e p r o m o n t o r y of Co. R o s c o m m o n t h a t j u t s i n t o L e i t r i m u n t i l it t o u c h e s t h e s h o r e s of L o u g h A l l e n .

I noticed as we sped over t h e rough roads, the a f t e r m a t h of the wors t winter

in living memory, un-ploughed fields and turf s tacks as damp as the day they were cut.

But in Drumshambo —believe it, or not!— people have coal fires —not very br ight ones as Ar igna coal is not very gassy but hot lasting fires that will burn all n ight , espe-

slack is bound into bri-quettes with Shannon clay.

Here was no shivering, puffing a n d prod-ding; no chimneys oh fire with turf tar as in Dublin.

Deep Seams ? I t was with alacrity I accepted a ' l ift ' on

another coal wagon, and inspected some of the mines, horizon-

D. GREAVES cially when the

NEWBURY: Victoria Park

Sunday, 18th May, at 1 p.m.

(SEE LOCAL POSTERS FOR SPEAKERS)

tal workings driven into the sides of the hills, giving employ-ment to 450 men, all members of the Ir ish T ranspor t and Genera l Workers ' Union.

"The top seam's the best," they told me. Eighteen inches deep it yields a tolerable s team coal. . I took samples f rom lower seams also, and in my hotel t h a t n ight heard local inhabi-t an t s speculate whether there m i g h t be r icher seams hidden deeper still.

Geologists say this is unlikely. Ireland at one time was one vast coalfield like Bri-tain. But dur ing the ice-age glaciers swept away all its upper - and worse still its rich middle—seams. T h a t is why far-mers ' plougljs will sometimes t u r n up lumps of "errat ic" coal in Meath or Water-ford.

W h a t remains corresponds to the British lower conl measures, the poorest a n d thin-nest.

Desmond Greaves VISITS THE IRISH COAL

MINES AT ARIGNA

Arigna Strike Arigna can claim history not less ex-

citing t han i ts geology. I t s people are among the most self-reliant and mil i tant in Ireland.

In 1920 they took over the mines wtion the owners refused to grant them in-creased wages.

• Thei r decision to run the mines them-

selves met with general scepticism. T h e n as now- there were many who could not conceive of workers running an indus t ry on businesslike lines. The owners stood by powerless, but consoled themselves with the t hough t tha t the workers would make a mess of it and be forced to come to heel.

But the workers got contracts, and be-gan to make more profits than the owners had done themselves—and with h ighe r wages, too. Soon the owners changed their tune. They were given possession of the mines on condition t ha t they paid t he proper wages and honour the contrac ts the workers had made with their customers.

I t was a pleasure to be among the sons and daugh te r s of those who made th is re-markable stand.

T h e atmosphere reminded me of that in many a Welsh mining village, with the additional charm peculiar to Ireland.

So when I was told of the Easter Com-memora t ion meeting called by local Re-publicans I decided to a t tend.

Eas te r Sunday was a wild day. Moun-ta inous packs of cloud swept across t he sky br inging violent showers of hail and rain. T h e commemoration was a simple ceremony. Two or three hundred men and women of all ages knelt in the churchyard . The ga the r ing joined in the responses, and as the Proclamation of 1916 was read out the sky suddenly cleared and the sun turned the tops of the dark yew-trees a bri l l iant green.

Emigrants I could not be en-

thusiastic about the political address wnich followed. Some of the com-plaints agains t the poverty of the people and the divi-sion of the country

were justif ied enough. But the people of Arigna want a more positive policy, a more vigorous lead.

In 104 homesteads in one townland, I was told by a local rate collector, there are only six children—an indication of the difficulties of the small fa rmers whose sons emigrate. But for the mines the district would be depopulated.

Is the re an industrial fu ture for Arigna? There is enough coal to go on with. Bri-quettes can be made with imported pitch and make excellent fuel. There a re pos-sibilities of getting by-products, though A n g n a coal is not promising for this.

I r ish scientists, expert in these matters, should give the answers to these questions. The local people are willing to work ha rd and give the best results of which they are capable. The great need is vigorous encouragement f iom the Government .

Printed by Ripley Printing Society Ltd. (T.U.), Ripley, Derbys., and published by the Editor, Premier House, 150 South-ampton Row, London, W.C.I.