CRISIS LEFT THEM TOO EASY LAST WEEK
Could The Irish Give Refuge To Children From Britain?
Front one Own Correspondent
DUBLIN was the quietest capital in Europe when the crisis burst in full force on Thursday—so the newspapers remarked. PeOple went to the sea by day and the cinema by night, and talked of the peril in Europe as if it were far oil' in Asia.
There was no exodus of anxious travellers. Mr John Cudahy, American ;Minister to Ireland, told the Press that no instructions were being issued to Amerieans advising ret urn to the United States. There are many Americans in Ireland, and none. Mr Cudahy said, is cutting short. his stay.
Throughout almost all the country there was the same detachment. Only in the North something of the anxiety in England was manifest ;-liong -the people, although a Belfast paper said that excitliment was far less than in last year's crisis, owing to the exemption of the Six Counties froM conscription.
APATHY REI3UKED Ireland Cannot Escape
On Thursday evening the first. official utterance on the war crisis came from the Minister i'or Industry
and Commerce. Mr Leinass was in Cobh (Queenstown) for the opening of the highly important industrial enterprise—the steel factory at the former British naval base, Hawlhowline.
He commented on the public indifference, and warned Ireland that the troubles of the world will not spare her. His speech might he summarised in a phrase—wake up, Ireland!
Surprising Indifference
" The probable consequences to our people of a European war appal all who have given thought to it," Mr Lemass said. " Our problems may be less than those of other countries for which war may mean complete annihilation or the total physical destruction of their productive resources, but nevertheless they are so serious, so fraught with menace to our welfare, that It is somewhat surprising that the public mind has not yet become sufficiently concerned about them.
" Problems which will arise once war begins, apart altogether from the international or political difficulties which may arise, will mean a period of great hardship even if our people never hear a shot fired in It.
" I would ask now those whose positions enable them 10 influence public actions in all walks of life to help to prepare the public mind for the situation which may arise.
" Let us hope that the miracle will happen, that common sense will triumph, and the danger of war be averted, but we must be prepared for the worst.
" So far as possible, the Government has done so in one sphere—the laying in of stocks of materials, the pre
of codes for the control of distribution and consumption, and such like.
"But the most important matter of rill is the preparation of the -minds of the people, so that the necessary restrictivemeasures will be accepted and ordered control of public business made possible."
Though seeking thus to prepare our people for the worst, Mr Lemass stressed the desire of Ireland to remain neutral, airiest she had no concern in the quarrel between the Powers.
" Situated here as we are," he said, "in a small country on the outskirts of Europe, with no national interests or associations with the questions which may set Europe ablaze, we have nd desire to become involved in conflict.."
These words embody the policy of Mr de Valera's Government.
Meanwhile, the Government, has taken steps which are in a manner similar to the measures taken by the British Parliament, It has brought into operation that part of the new safety provisions which sets up special courts for the trial of political suspects and gives power of Internment.