The Washington times., 1920-11-26
PLOT y
TO S[AY HIM
Acting Head Of Irish Republic,
Prisoner, Asserts British
Seek His Life.
Roundup of Freedom Chiefs
Grows-Many Captured in
New Raids.
CORK, Nov. 26.-Two persons
We rekilled in a bomb explosion in
q factory here today.

CORK, Nov. 26.-Two persons
We rekilled in a bomb explosion in
q factory here today.
DUBLIN, Nov. 26.-Arthur Griffith,
NJ. p, founder OF the Sinn Fein. and
acting President of the Irish Repub-
lie in the absence of M. DeValera in
the United States, was arrested to-
day by Black and Tan police.
Professor Mcneil, another promi-
nent Sim Fein leader, and others
were arrested at the same time.
CHARGES LIFE SOUGHT.
Griffith charged police agents had
recently sought his life, but had fail
ed to frighten him out of his ordinary
routine.
II did not attempt to disappear
to save myself from assassination"
said the Sim Fein chieftain. Il
continued to go about my affairs as
always, eating at the same place.
sleeping in my home every night.
where I could have been found by
raiders, IL they sought me. This
Is no surprise to me. / have bee:
expecting arrest for some time"
Griffith was arrested in his home
and hts seizure caused a great sensa-
tion. - In many quarters he has been
regarded as q moderating Influence.
The arrest of the acting President
OF the Irish Republic, was but one
incident in the increasing activity
of the soldiers and police. Reports
of arrest Of prominent Sim Feiners
were received hourly from all parts
OF the country. More Irish people
have been rounded up" by the police
since last Sunday than in the raids
which followed the Dublin uprising
in 1915.
Just before his arrest Griffith gave
an exclusive interview to the cores
pondent of the New York Herald, in
which he declared the Irish Parlia-
ment cannot be blamed for disorders
when the British authorities suppress
it, call 1t illegal. and arrest and i'm
prison every member of the body
found meeting with another member.
LAUDS DIAL EIREANN.
'"rhe Dali Eireann kept order in
Ireland when II was able to function.
and it will keep order-perfect order
again when 1t is permitted to func-
tion." he continued. THAT is the
solution of the present Irish terror"
In a dingy room OF a house on the
third floor back, Griffith sat before Il
kitchen table and a pile Of old news
papers, documents, and books. buZily
withdrawing eternally-an an
ology between Ireland now and the
American colonies in 1875. quoting
addresses and appreciations OF Ire.
land by George Washington and the
Continental Congress and quoting ac-
counts OF British burnings. killings.
and massacres then as now.
THE Irish people under a perfectly
or az ho of
British constitutional 1918 elected
their own representatives pledged 10
the establishment of their own ma
tion," he said. From that moment
British oppression began to harden.
"AT IRELAND's THROAT"
"For four years Britain's hands have
been at Irelands throat politically.
This Is no new development. During
1917 and 1918 there was not a single
policeman or soldier killed in Ire
land except one who was struck down
while leading a baton charge against
the populace in Dublin.
"The Dali Eireann, the constituted
authority Of the Irish people. be
gan establishing its sway and then
British oppression was renewed.
The Dali Eireann established order:
with it's own police IL arrested ban
dts and tried these bandits in it's
own courts. Despite the fact OF all
this, for four years no man or woman
in Ireland could go to bed ut night
and feel assured they would sleep
uninterrupted by visit and arrest.
"The Dali Eireann cannot longer
meet openly. Even IL they meet So
cretly Its members are subject to ar
rest. Indeed. many of them have
been arrested over and over again
''Sir Hamar Greenwood. Chief Sec
retary for Ireland, talks about hui
man nature blazing out in reprisals.
Can he blame young Irishmen for
their blazing anger after -four such
years? He may blame young ireland,
but certainly he can't blame the Dali
Eireann.
"Engltnd suppressed the Dali Eirc-
ann. Odr hands are tied. We cannot
at the same time be responsible ana
prescribed"
Griffith admitted frankly there may
be a Bolshevist element in Ireland.
There is every shade OF economic
belief in Ireland but the best proof
that the extremists do not prevail T.
that when the Dali Eireann elected
government and held court upon
agrarian questions questions upon
which the Bolsheviki would be most
likely to run wild--the cases were de.
cided to the satisfaction OF even the
extremist Tory landlords.
Again, I repeat that II Englant
fron,ln,.d m Para 9 Coiurnn -