"President" No Longer

At Dublin, on the exceedingly beautiful morning of Easter Monday, 1916, a bloody riot was followed by the issuance of a manifesto in which the revolutionaries proclaimed Ireland an Independent State and a Republic, in the name of Sinn Fein ("We Ourselves"). On that day Eamonn (Edward) de Valera distinguished himself by capturing Boland's Bakery, which he ingeniously utilized as a fortress and a food supply base. From Boland's Bakery he vaulted through an orgy of terror to the presidency of "We Ourselves," which constituted "the Irish Republic." When the Irish Free State Agreement was negotiated in 1920, however, he conspicuously held aloof from the representatives of "We Ourselves," who were treated with successfully by Great Britain. From that hour De Valera's prestige began to ooze into a misty nothingness, like the steam from Boland's Bakery.

Last week the oozing process appeared complete. The Sinn Fein, also referred to as "The Irish Republican Party," assembled in convention (Ard Fheis) at Dublin and voted De Valera down, 223-218, on a question of policy after two days of secret sessions. Thwarted, Mr. de Valera resigned his "presidency," at last.

The Significance. Observers noted with interest that Mr. de Valera was defeated while opposing the extreme die-hards of his party. He was advocating that "when the Oath of Fealty to the King [required of all Irish M. P.'s] shall be abolished, then Sinn Feiners should cease to abstain from the Dail [Parliament], enter it and work toward the establishment of a Republic."

Die-hards Mary MacSwiney and Father O'Flanagan were successful in purging "We Ourselves" from any such "conciliatory taint."