The New York herald., 1921-02-26
IRISH PEACE Is SEEN
WITHIN SIX MONTHS
Sir John Foster, British Jour
nalist, Says Sim Fein Lead
ers Will Compromise.
EXTREMISTS DELAY 1T
Ireland Is Prosperous, He
Says, and Very Little Amer
lean Money Reaches There.

Human nature and all it's component
parts, such as the desire to amass
money, preserve life and avoid dis
tress. will restore unity. peace and con-
cord to Ireland. Moreover, IL is the
opinion of SIR John Foster. who made
the foregoing forecast yesterday, that
this highly desirable return of Ireland
to something approximating quietude
and contentment will come to pass
within six months. Sir John. a well
known British journalist and former
member of Parliament, was in Ireland
as recently as two weeks ago.
II am forced to believe said Sir
John, that such Sim Fein leaders as
Arthur Griffiths and Eamonn de Valera
want peace restored in Ireland even
at the expense of a sacrifice OF the
ultimate demands of the Republican
platform-complete independence / did
not talk to De Valera, but unless all
the Sim Fein leaders ] spoke to are
telling less than the truth he is willing
to make concessions in the interests
of peace.
'The majority of people in ireland are
either members of or sympathetic with
the Sim Fein movement, that's true /;
but q majority of these, loving Ireland
and hating England as they do. are
really conservative. The radical element
is preventing peace. You've got to un-
derstand the situation as it exists and
not as sentimentalists and politicians
picture il. you know.
you have a radical element composed
of the young extremists, the clerks in the
small towns the farmers and some
young priests. Added to that faction
,,o,, boua sti11 mara radfcal and avon
more active unit, the transport workers
union, which Is the most powerful labor
group in Ireland. These men, who have
it in their power to paralyze Ireland's
transportation, and therefore Ireland,
say that they are for the Irish Republic
and for nothing less But they add that
once they accomplish republic they
will demand and will set in motion the
Soviet system.
"And right there the split In the Sim
Fein movement occurs. De Valera and
Griffths are men with capacity to think
far into the future. They know that,
despite contrary propaganda and despite
the denial that is sure to be made, Ire
land was never more prosperous. Very
little American money is reaching her.
Where it is going, If any great sums
are being raised for her here, Heaven
knows, but the fact remains And De
Valera and Griffiths, knowing that COM
plete independence for Ireland at this
present time means civil war between
the Sovietists and the Conservatives,
have lost some of their erstwhile abso-
lutism.
"Then, too, you know, the Ulster Par
lament opens in April. The Sim Fein
is saying that it will not permit the
operation of Parliament for the south
of Ireland. 1 believe that to be sheer
rot I think that the Sim Fein will
erect its Parliament south of Ulster,
grab off all the seats, sit in the council
with Ulster and eventually agree with
Ulster to abolish the two Parliaments
and unite in one legislative body. Sim
Fein leaders understand that IL Ireland
south of Ulster does not operate the
Parliament offered her Crown rule must
be substituted. Ireland must have gov
eminent If she does not accept what
Is offered she must be satisfied with
what is given her.