The New York herald., 1921-01-07
FREEMAN'S JOURNAL
OWNERS RELEASED
Action Regarded as Sign That
Government Is in Mood
for Cancellation.

Special Gable to THE New YoHK HERALD.
Copyright, 1921, bp THE NEW York HERALD.
DUBLIN, Jan. 6.-Martin Fitzgerald.
one time racing partner of Richard
Croker. and Hamilton Edwards, proprie-
tors Of the Freeman's Journal, and Pat
rick Hooper. editor Of that newspaper.
were Internationally released from
Mountjoy prison here tonight on "medi-
cal grounds" This is regarded here as
| the most hopeful sign of conclliation
seen In Ireland in many weeks.
It has been an open secret that while
Downing Street wanted these newspaper
men released from prison Dublin Castle
insisted on certain conditions. with
which they refused to comply
Despite the vigorous campaign their
newspaper carried on against Dublin
Castle atrocities they were convicted
only on technical grounds connected
with two articles they published, one of
them being a mere paragraph.
Their conviction aroused not only
moderate opinion in Ireland. which the
Freeman's Journal represented, but also
Lord Northcliffe and almost the entire
membership Of the Newspaper Proprie-
| tors Association of London, which this
week met and resolved to demand of
the Government the release of these
| men.
| The fact that Dublin Castle has now
| yielded to the Cabinet view on the ques-
ton Of the release of these newspaper
men Is taken to mean that 1t may
further be induced to favor the tendency
toward peace evidenced in Downing
Street. DE Valera, however. gives no
sign that he Is noticing such tendency
The Freen,dn's Journal publishes what
it calls an authentic forecast of what
De Valera's position will be after con-
sultation with Sim Fein leaders in Ire.
land. Its essence Is that Sim Fein will
not negotiate until Downing Street rec.
ognizes ireland as a separate nation
That is just what Downing Street viii
not recognize.
There are, however. two grounds fol
hope of an Irish peace. The first /!
that the Sim Fein may be induced t
accept the present home rule act as rec
| ognizing Irish nationality, IL not SOW
ereignty, and, second. that the old Ma
tionalist party, which is reviving, ma,
inject a new controlling element int'
the situation. cutting out the grount
from under the extreme Sim Fein.
THE NEW York HERALD correspondent
|
reporter for the Freen,dn's Journal no
only saw De Valera but that he talke'
with him in Dublin. This talk, how
ever took place before De Valera ha'
fully informed himself regarding tn
present actualities of the Irish situation
and may be regarded as n more or les
additional reiteration of the Sim Fei
platform. upon which De Valera wa
chosen as president of the Irish repub
lie" and upon which he has preache
both In the United States and in Irelanc
A recrudesence of the Nationals
party was signalled by a movemen
headed by Alderman j. c. McWaltei
High Sheriff OF Dublin, to reorganiz
the old Nationalist election machiner,
1t Is the hope that this movement wi
inject young Liberal, but not extremis
candidates into the forthcoming elec
tion for the Southern Parliament. Az
cording to Mr.. McWalter's plans he wi
go into the campaign as soon as tn
wrts ordering the election arrive her
and with full set Of candidates of sue
undoubted loyalty to Ireland and {
such liberal. advanced views as wi
force the Sim Fein either to back thel
or name their own candidates on a pla
form OF impossible RECONCILIATION. t.
tally ignoring the actualities of the ST
uation.
While De Valera's foreshadowed de,
laration for recognition of Ireland
''nationhood' implies that the Sim Fei
will follow this latter course. II is nt
too much TO say that events in Irelan
have not since 1918 been in such sta,
of flux as they are now, and the bt>
opinion In Dublin inclines to the belle
that almost anything is possible IL
will end the present reign of horror vi
der martial law