The Washington herald., 1920-10-25
OPEN WARFARE
Sim FEIN HOPE
Isolated Attacks on British
Military Futile, Says
Writer.
By C. II. BRETHERToN.


merrily forward and no sun now
sets that has net seen his quota OF
policemen and Sim Feiners hurried
into the next world.
1t must be admitted that Dublin
endures Its role OF battle-ground
with a cheerful fortitude.. The hys-
terra is all confined to the Nation
alist newspapers. The public is
much more concerned about the out
come of the British coal strike than
about the possibility of stopping
bullet sped in the wake of some
elusive commandant or unsuspect-
ing constable, or providing what the
reporters call fragmeutary details
of bombing affair.
Details Are Suppressed.
The public would perhaps worry
more II it knew the true state or
affairs, but it is the simple truth
that the dusky Inhabitants of the
Andaman Islands get a truer, though
perhaps slightly more belated ac-
count of what is going on in Ire
land than the Dublin citizen. 1t is
only to be expected that the OPP
posing forces say little about their
exploits and still less about the
other side of the exploits, but II
they did engage in an OutbUrst OF
confiding frankness, the newspapers
would not publish 1t.
One may summarize the imme-
diate situation by saying that while
Il NJ
are still pulling off daring and
spectacular stunts. Sir NGvil Mac
ready is winning the war and the
reason is simple.
Get Only Rank and File.
The Sim Feiners are picking off
only the rank and file of the British
forces, soldiers, constables and the
Junior officers, who can be replaced
not once, but a hundred times over
without any hitch occurring in the
working of the military machine.
The men who really matter on the
government side are out Of reach
OF the bullets OF the most daring at
tackers.
1t is a question whether the Brit
ish military organization in Ireland
could be much affected by a loss of
any one man or handful OF men. 1t
is too well rooted in Dublin Castle,
Whitehall, Scotland Yard and a
score OF other places. The Irish re-
publican army is well organized but
for obvious reasons cannot acquire
the stable and machinelike status
Of its enemy. 1t has no officers and
files, and its general headquarters
is. generally speaking. under Mich
ael Collins so extremely elusive that
h., H. s5
established for some special purpose
there is always a dangerous posi-
bility OF a sudden sweep by the mill
taTy and the capture and dispersal
into hiding OF the general stafT.
Sample Last Week.
That is precisely what happened
/ last week in Talbot Street where the
concentration of the Republicans.
commandants and the inner circle
of the Brotherhood met cost Michael
Collins five of his ablest and most Of
the faithful henchmen. One Of these
men named Tracy was killed. He
was, according TO information given
out to the papers. presumably from
military sources, commandant of one
Of the Tipperary brigades Of the
! Irish republican army, member Of
the inner council % the Irish Re-
publican brotherhood and had par
ticipated in at least two rurderous
attacks on the police. He is also
said to have been one Of the two
men who on the day prior to his
death made a sensational escape
from a house in Drumcondra after
killing two officers of a military
rsiding party that had come to ar
rest them. His companion, a man
~ N,rg-
somewhere in Dublin badly wounded
and accessible to his fellow COM
mandants only at great risk
Reward Goes Begging.
The military have offered a re-
ward of $1,000 for information lead
ing to his arrest, a sum which no
one will be at all anxious to earn
or, if they earned it, would he at
all likely to live to enjoy. Three
other leading Sim Fein fighters
were taken in the Talbot street raid
and a fourth was taken of 4 Bel
fast train the following day.
Michael Collins cannot easily re-
place these men. although others
just as daring and desperate will
take their places, but to take up
the threads of a discourse, when
next to nothing of Importance has
been put down on paper or intrust-
ed TO any but the most confidential
ears, is a far more difficult task.
For that reason and because the
military net seems to be closing
upon the Sim Fein army leaders,
and trusted gunmen, all over Ire
land il is pretty clear that the
! Irish republican forces will try in
the near future to mako matters
easier for themselves by a success
full operation or a series of opera
/ tions on a large scale.
Isolated Attacks Futile.
Isolated attacks, however success
| full on motor lorries and barracks.
will not relieve the pressure, which
can only be stopped in one way,
namely. by isolating the brain of
the military machine, which is situ-
| ated in Dublin Castle, from contact
with the striking forces that un-
dertake its orders in various parts
of the country.
This means another rebellion on
a large scale, but a rising in which
Dublin will be left severely alone,
and the general postoffice fiasco
| will not be repeated. The eyes of
the militant Sim Fein, as well as
the eyes of the Dublin citizens, are
fixed upon the coal strike that has
just begun across the water. II
the Irish railways come to a stand
still, the Sim Feiners have only to
block the roads, cut telegraph wires
and give battle, or go on milking
cows, as may seem best, when the
military come out.
Food Would BE Big Problem.
Communication hef tween the nut