Welsh Journals

THE WELSH OUTLOOK The Editor does not necessarily identify himself with the opinions of contributors to the Welsh Outlook." Editorial responsibility is limited to the views expressed in the Notes of the Month," and in the unsigned article immediately fpllowing. NOTES OF THE MONTH The Premier's Stand. During the last two years or so, we ourselves, and others through our columns, have said many hard and bitter things of the Prime Minister. although we have never under-estimated his wonderful gifts, nor depreciated the striking triumphs of his strange career. At this moment, however, we are proud and glad to hail him as the most powerful Liberal force both in home and in world politics. During the last six weeks he has, with unequalled courage, on more than one occasion, stood up to the greatest danger of European civilization-French Chauvinism, and by his ultimate success in securing the reference of the Silesian problem to the League of Nations, he has performed a dual service-on the one hand to political justice and fair play, and on the other to the most idealist experiment of our age and genera- tion. We hope and trust (in spite of some disquieting rumours to the contrary) that the League, having been given such an opportunity, will in no way fail at its first trial. This is not the only Liberal service the Prime Minister has performed recently in world affairs, but his new attempt to solve the terrible problem of Ireland is on the heroic scale. He is exceptionally endowed, as we have always said, for bringing peace and hope to the Celtic land of Ireland. Whatever may happen to him politically, he must always remain at heart a Nationalist. He may talk proudly, even vainly, of his position as an Imperial Prime Minister, but by nature and tradition he will always remain a Joseph in the court of Pharaoh. He, almost alone in the present administration, understands the meaning and import of Mr. De Valera's hard, logical arguments and phrases, and we pray that his instincts and intuition may not be curbed and harassed by those around him. We are proud to acknowledge the fact that his offer to Ireland is the best and most generous since the days of Grattan's Parliament. If, on the one hand, the Irish leaders remember the words of Terence McSwiney SEPTEMBER, 1921. (the Lord Mayor of Cork who starved to death in Brixton prison) in his book, "Principles of Freedom" Our philosophy is valueless unless we bring it into life. With sufficient ingenuity, we might frame theory after theory, and if they could not be put to the test of a work-a-day existence, we but add another to the many dead theories that litter the History of Philo- sophy," and on the other the Ulster and English irreconcilables are given some partial vision of the value of peace and reconciliation, we shall most assuredly enter into a new dispensation in Ireland. At the moment, what is required is patience. We frankly do not quite understand Mr. Lloyd George's latest intimation to Mr. De Valera that there must very soon be an end to the truce and to the exchange of notes. Ireland should be given every opportunity to philoso- phise first before acting. Its past demands it. We do not think that its logic is altogether perfect, and Mr George's last letter was in the main an admirable reminder to it of the realities of the situation. We cannot believe it possible that the negotiaions should break down now, and another era of force instituted. Welsh Autonomy. It appears that the Welsh members, and, indeed, Welsh Nationalists generally, have been greatly encour- aged by the declaration of the Prime Minister at their sessional dinner this month. He took the view that under present conditions it was futile for the representatives of Wales in Parliament to insist on the demand for a Welsh Secretary, as the creation of anything in the nature of a new Ministry with its attendant staff would incur nothing but odium with the public. He suggested that the best and wisest course would be for them to do their utmost next Session to secure a place for a Bill giving Wales autonomy in matters of education, public health, and other matters that directly affected the welfare of the Principality, and he assured them) that they could not only count on his personal support, but also on the support of the Government in carrying such a measure into law."