A Nation's Will Affirmed

From Our Own Correspondem
DUBLIN
Dubliners say that not since the prodigious scenes of Congress year, 1932, has our capital beheld
anything approaching the demonstration when President O'Keily was inaugurated. The Cardinal Primate, the Nuncio Apustolic, the Archbishop of Dublin, and other prelates dignified the religious ceremonies; there were Protestant and Jewish observances also. After the State inauguration in Dublin Castle, the President and Mrs. O'Kelly drove by coach, escorted by cavalry in blue and gold hussar uniform, through the great main artery, O'Connell Street, to the north side and the Presidential residence ; the whole highway lined by troops and an immense throng of the populace that cheered to the very skies.
It was. in truth, the MOSE exhilarating day we have known for many a year. Strangers among us caught the
enthusiasm. At night, Dublin Castle lit up in a brilliant reception, with Church and State, learning, literature and the arts richly represented, and diplomats oi many lands seeing Ireland's spirits at their highest.
A NATIONAL AFFIRMATION Why this enthusiasm ? No doubt,
President O'Kelly is highly popular in his native city (though it was in Dublin that his opponents polled better)—and he bore himself with splendid and yet homely dignity: but what uplifted everyone was the significance of the event: the affirmation of a nation's will, freely expressed, in days when freedom is so rare.
Once again we were vexed by news agencies and unfriendly papers; for most of the English press reported the P.R. election of Mr O'Kelly as a defeat for Fianna Fail. The simultaneous local government elections also were SO reported. Now there are many in Ireland who regret that the Presidency became a peaty question, and many condemn Fianna Fail for contesting the municipalities instead of leaving them
to 'Independents. General MacEoin ,even complained that he was clafeated because Fianna Fad won a party victory.
We would not complain of criticism tin these lines. hat what OFE' we 10 think of agencies that report a Presidential majority of twenty; per cent, as a defeat? What are we to think of papers that tell the English public that a Government party was-defeated in local gove;natent when, in fact, it came back stronger than any party has been before, and everj, mho party lost heavily ?
We do not mind external criticism, though we do not criticise English internal affairs; but we do gasp when the identical opposite to the truth is proclaimed, and when England, with agencies and newspapers so unanimous in misrepresentation of fact, sets about criticising Spanish press laws and Continental Gestapos.
ALL-PARTY AGREEMENT Throughout the wat years, this newspaper allowed me to keep before readers the truth that Irish international policy is not Mr. de Valera's policy, nor a party policy but the unanimous policy of our people. This truth was driven home in the Dail in a debate on the
Army estimate. Mi. Liam Cosgrave, the talented son of Mr. W. T. Cosgrave, repudiatet: the doctrine that Ireland should commit its' defence to the British Commonwealth.
"I deplore statements," he said, " that We Shailid ally ourselves with nations of whose commitments we have no information or what contribution they hope to, make f0 world peace."
It was, fantastic that this partitioned country should ally itself with the nation responsible for partition.
This dictum, it will be noted, comes from the Opposition, but it concurs exactly with Government utterances; hence, the reader will see that Irish external policy is unanimous. Outfriendship is, and must be, restrained %Ode thc wrong of partition remains, and we accept external obligations only where we have full say in our commitments—as in 1936 at the League Of Nations.