The condition of Ireland has improved during the 'week. The
importance of this is not in the extent of the improvement, for that is slight, but in the fact that it is possible to make such a statement for the first time for many months. After the death of Liam Lynch came the capture of Austin Stack last Sunday and of Dan Breen on Tuesday, which leaves only De Valera and two less important leaders at large. The dis- organization of the Irregular military forces is complete. The question before the Free State Government is now whether it should fight the war out to the extermination of the Republicans or make terms at a conference presided over by a neutral divine, for whom the Irish Times suggests the Papal delegate, Mgr. Luzio. A curious result of the capture of Stack is that a formal Republican offer of surrender which would probably have been sent to the Free State can now never be made. The Govern- ment is thus tempted to fight out the war to a finish and make a peace that will lay up seeds of bitterness in Ireland.
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