The result of the general election in northern Ireland shows that the Unionists have increased their majority in the Nortern Irish Parliament and now control 39 of the 52 seats in the house, as compared with 37 before the elections, If any more indication were required of the determination of the voters of that portion of Ireland not to agree with fusion with Eire it is difficult to know where it would come from, The majority of voters have declared their loyalty to the United Kingdom in no mistakeable terms, and should set the fulfilment of Mr, de Valera's Policy back a good number of years, The Unionists have control of three-quarters of the seats in the House and it is to be expected that they will not in any way depart from the policies which Lord Craigavon has so strikingly enunciated, In fact the elections were held for the purpose of demonstrating to Great Britain the firmness with which Northern Ireland rejected union with Eire and in taking the step he did, Lord Craigavon embarked upon a manœuvre which proved entirely successful, What effect these results will have upon the negotiations between Eire and Great Britain remains to be seen, though it is clear that, at any rate for the present, there is nothing to concerning the union of the two parts of Ire That being one of Mr, de Valera's fundamental terms, it is possible that he will refuse to discuss the use of certain parts of Eire for the purpose of defending the British Isles, while it is also possible that the question of the Land Annuities and the coal-and-cattle agreement will go into abeyance. Great Britain will only consent to the fusion which Mr, de Valera desires when Northern Ireland wants it to, The present success of the Unionists proves that that day is still a long way ahead, and, for the time being at least, Mr, de Valera will have to content himself with the territory over which he at present holds sway,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.