Can the Anglo-Irish Dispute be Settled 7 In once again
urging a business-like- settlement of the Anglo-Irish dispute last Saturday Mr. Cosgrave was perfectly right in saying that the goodwill of the Irish Free State was worth a great deal to Britain, even from the economic point of view. It is no satisfaction whatever to this country to know that the Free State is suffering • far more from the dispute than Britain is doing. A pro- sperous Ireland carrying on normal trade with us, or a trade subject only to such restrictions as might be amicably agreed upon, would be economically valuable to us.
Cosgrave pointed out that the Ottawa agreements resulted in increased exports from the Dominions in the course of 12 months, and that in the same period Free 'State exports to Britain dropped by £2,000,000. An .economic agreement between the two countries need not involve the abandonment of any, Irish projects for estab- lishing her own industries—any needs the Free State 'night have-of that kind would necessarily be taken into Account in any, trade treaty. The whole trouble over the Annuities arises out of the fact that Mr. de Valera insists on breaking an existing agreement in preference to negotiating a new agreement.
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