Ireland The relations between the United Kingdom and Southern Ireland
are still profoundly depressing and we deplore the suffering which is beginning to be felt by innocent Irish as well as by those who have any respon- sibility for the state into which their country has fallen since Mr. de Valera took the reins from Mr. Cosgrave's hands. The agriculturists are the first to feel the effects of the tariff-war, but industry too is beginning to protest, The railways, for instance, have either to pay 5s. extra per ton for their coal to meet the import duty on British coal, or to accept inferior foreign coal. The Dublin Horse Show illustrated the gloomy conditions that prevail. We would not call it a failure when the horses, though fewer, were as good as ever. But the sales were very poor and the attendance declined heavily. Mr. de Valera has summoned from Ottawa the Minister of -Agriculture to deal with the grave problems of that office. He has obtained from the Dail a vote for £2,000,000 as an emergency fund. This is supposed to be meant to help in some way to find new markets. Possibly it will be used in part to buy foreign coal.
