The Washington herald., 1921-10-18
Fine eHish Rebels
Negotiate With
Foes In Britain
Men of Dramatic Careers
Haze Fought Hard for
Erin's Freedom.

~ - = @~~~~ss~s
, LONDON. Oct. 17.-London Is be-
coming, acquainted with hve of the
most picturesque Irislnen who ever
trod the sod of Old Erin. Min who
have combatted the British govern
ment with every resource at their
command have been gathered
around a table 10 London. nego-
tiating with rspresentatives of. that
same government Tor settlement
in iceland" ! :"
They are the sinn5Fein plenipo-
tentiaries to the Irish conference In
Downing Street Their careers
have been dramatic and varied.
Headed By Arthur Grimth.
Heading the delegation is a short.
stocky tfull-faced man, taciturn to
a degree, who Is described as the
originator of the Sim Fein move
ment. That man Is Arthur Griffith,
the Sim Fein foreign minister. He
was once a miner in South Africa,
where he WENT when a young man.
When he returned to Dublin he
founded and edited the United
Irishman," which was suppressed
by the authorities. only to be sue
ceeded by Sim Fein" and ma
tionality."
Griffith can hold an argumenta-
tive trench until the last shot Is
fired, a reputation established long
before the conference opened, but
one which has been emphasized on
frequent occasions in the past few
days.
Arrested Three Times.
After the Easter rebellion in 1915
Griffith was arrested and deported
to England. but was released under
the general amnesty. He was ar
rested twice subsequently and re-
leased when the truce went into
effect.
In fact, being arrested is a casuas
experience to the visiting Sim
Feiners-. All except one have been
under arrest by the British govern
ment.
Consider>> Michael Collins. Mick
as he is. known throughout Ireland
By profession Mick" is an account
ant. having worked in the London
postofice and later as a bank clerk.
OOAAAhS hO" LhG SIM
Fetn miRister of finance.
But reverting to the business of
being arrested. An energetic mem
Der of the Irish Volunteers, Collins
took part in the Easter rebellion,
was captured. imprisoned, and re-
leased.
For Two Years "On the Run"
He is described as having been
ION the run" since May, 1918. and
his escapes from governmental pur-
suit are legendary throughout Ire
land.
haired. broad-faced young man with
an abbreviated military moustache,
who by no means seems the wild
figure that England must have pic
tured him.
Mick" it is said. never entefed a
house without taking the precau-
tion Of planning two different modes
Of escape. He once hunIS from a
window ledge as his room was being
searched. Houses were open to him
in all parts of Dublin, and he is the
author of the saying that he had
found fighting a short cut into
society.
Escaped from British Jail.
Then there is Robert c. Barton,
minister of economic affairs, an Ok
ford man. a Protestant, and a land
lord. He is a man of military bear
ing and at one time was an officer
in the Dublin FusiIeers. He was
arrested and interned in Mount Joy
tail in February. 1919, but a daring
escape set him free a month later.
Another year saw him under arrest
again and sentenced by court-mar-
tial to three years penal servitude
for infiammatory speeches. He was
released in six months.
The fourth member of the dele
CATION, E. ]. Duggan, is a prominent
Dublin lawyer, now described as
Commandant Duggan, chief liaison
officer for Ireland. Before gaining
that title he had been sentenced to
three years in the penitentiary for
his participation in the Easter re-
bellion. He, too, was released after
comparatively brief detention.
Defended Sir Roger Easement.
George 9avan Duffy. who CON-
pletes the list, is Sim Fein envoy at
Rome. a member of a distinguished
family and son Of the 4 late Sir
Charles Gavan Duffy, who was
knighted by Queen victor ia. As a
lawyer in London the present Duffy
prepared the defense of Sir Roger
Easement, Irish leader who was ex-
ecuted in 1916.
The picture ofkhese fve Irishmen,
Rebels, in the strict Tory sense,
comforting with. Lloyd George, Sir
Hamar Greenwood, and other mem
bers of the British peace delegation,
ID one that London will not soon