Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1921-12-06
DUBLIN AT
EASE But
WATCHFUL
City Prosperous and
Peaceful But Fears
Rioting Outbreak at
Any Moment
By Daniel 0'Connell.


ago Dublin was one OF the most
unhappy cities in western Europe.
Today, though anxious for the fu-
tnre, the Irish capital is at ease,
rejoicing In the peace Of the mo-
ment. The Dublin of 1921. COM
pared to the Dublin Of 1920 is as
different as the New York Of 1918
with its war fear and Its short
rations is to the New York of to-
day.
Ireland is prosperous, but could
be more so. Ireland, despite the
terror Of the past three years, Is
the only country in Europe that is
paying its way. The exports from
Iregon today greatly exceed her
imports. Yet ! have seen most OF
the factories where Erin made her
world famous butter burned to the
ground. | have seen the principal
part of her third city, with It's
stately city hall, all a blackened
mass of burned ruins. Yet the
Irish farmer and tradesman went
on his way, all the time working,
and made his native country pay
her way.
Peaceful Dublin,
We have peace here today, fol-.
The time being, at all events; yet
nobody knows what tomorrow may
bring forth. Irish politics are as
uncertain as an April day. The
sky may be bright one moment,
the next the rain clouds appear.
Similarly, when all looks black
and dreary some favorable wind
comes to brighten the horizon.
Despite the many disappointments
OF seeing freedom so often snatch
ed from its grasp, when, every
thing seemed assured, Ireland has
always returned to the fight
again. The betrayal Of the nation
alist party by the British radical
government in 1914 was the sever
est blow, probably, that Irishmen's
faith in English statesmanship
every received. But 1t did not
iampen their ardor in the least In
the fight to live their own lives In
their own way. A new fight, with
new men with different methods,
became necessary. The change
was radical, and whether success
will at last be theirs or whether
all the waste of lives and treasure
the next few weeks will tell. 1t is
estimated that fifty million
pounds worth of property was de-
stroyed in Erin during the last two
years, and IL there were added to
this the money that the Irish
people threw into the fighting
chests of the Irish republican army
and the Sim Fein organization,
the bill would be indeed a formid-
able one. Yet, though 1t was an
offense to either collect or sub
scribe to Sim Fein or the |. r. A.,
punishable with anything from
two to ten years imprisonment, the
Irish leaders never lacked funds;
the people were always only too
ready to come forward with their
pennies or their pounds.
Lack Confidence.
Ireland may again be disap-
inted-the Irish man and wo-
man is never overconfident about
anything in the political world
nowadays. Ireland will be ready
90 fight the fight again. Speaking
20 the people, one hears that they
do not in the least mind again fac
ing the curfew nights when one
had to be indoors sometimes as
early as s and s o'clock in the
evening. The Irish republican
army, young men, are prepared TO
go back again to the hills to fight
guerrilla war ten time more terri
BILE than the last They know they
cannot gain a military decision ov-
er Britain, but nevertheless they
are prepared to sacrifice their lives
in order to give the next genera
tion of Irishmen the "quados," as
they say, handing down the tradi-