New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-20
100 Fall i'm
Cork During
Night Battle
Continues from page one>

nothing for the loss involved, but it
is loss. for there is no prospect what
ever of Ireland winning any sort of
freedom without the support, or sane
ton at least. of a considerable BODY of
British opinion"
The Manchester Guardian" another
Liberal paper equally inclined to fight
lreland's battles, says:
1t is useless to repeat that every
one outside Ireland knows about the
serious loss of caste among nations
which the long sequence Of murders is
lnficting upon Ireland. The murderers
probably saturated their minds in
aoomlnable casuistry, which assumes
that wrong can be turned into right
whenever body of men sees fit to
assert that there is a state of war
between them and somebody else. The
Idea is that such an assertion confers
some mysterious license on those who
make it to throw off the ordinary NOR
atty Of all human societies and COM
NIT without moral stain what the gem
eral conscience of mankind recognizes
as acts of personal dishonor. To any
one not drunk with the strong waters
OF sophistry murders like that of Mr..
Smythe can seem only acts of base
cruelty founded on an argument in
tellectually childish"
The conservative press is naturally
still more emphatic in denouncing the
murder. THE Evening Standard -
after expounding the frightful char
acter of the latest Sim Fem crime
and pointing out that "Tha Daily Her
aid" (Sinn Fem organ) failed to con-
denim this murder, goes on to say:
Zone must express hope that the re-
sentiment over this detestable Grim
will not defect the judgment of the
Premier in dealing with the whole
question CT Ireland.
During the absence of the head of
the government there is tendency to
drift with the stream, but in this case
we are too dangerously near the rapids
to afford to permit much further delay
IN dealing with what is rapidly be-
coming the disintegration of society
in Ireland. 1t is now clear that the
government bill for the solution of
the Irish problem is no remedy We
think it was sincerely intended, but
obviously it won't do. The Prime Min
ception, and a little consideration of
the facts probably will show him the
desira bility in losing no time in stat
ing the governments last word on Ire
land.
"If there is any chance of peace, the
country Will expect that the Ministers
shall go the extreme limit to get that
peace. If there is TO be war. the coun-
try must first be convinced that war
is inevitable. The government has
rightly stated that it will resist to the
end any proposal to set up an Irish
republic, but, short Of that, how far
is it prepared to CO."
The attitude of most of the Sim
Feiners in Ireland toward the crime is
one of unrelenting satisfaction. They
say that the speech of Colonel Smythe
wherein he is said have advocated the
shooting of civilians by the police in a
campaign to wipe out the Sim Fem"
was never denied by him, but that he
merely declared it was "inaccura tely
reported" and that he therefore de-
clared open warfare, and his death fol-
lowed in due course.
The more moderate element in Ire
land, which has been pushing the as
similation of control of Irish affairs
by the Sim Fem in ways such as law
courts and Irish volunteers, feels that
the murder is a distinct setback for
it's cause. But for the present the
more radical element holds the upper
hand whenever it cares to strike.