New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-08-13
Griffith Not a Class Leader
But Rock of the Revolution
Head of Provisional Gov.
eminent Strove to Hold
Factions Together While
CollinsStirredP p triotism
By Forrest Davis

The death of Arthur Griffith will be
regretted in the Kildare Street club,
Dublln, quite as much as in the work
ingman's public house. There will be
sincere sorrow over his passing in the
lew remaining country houses as in the
episcopal palaces and the peasant cot
tages and the shopkeepers' dwellings.
Ireland will raise genuine "keen"
over Griffith, but there will be no pas
slonate wailing. Beloved of no class.
the rock Of the revolution had come to
De respected by all, from the somewhat
frightened old Unionists of Kildare
Street to the impatient youths in the
Free State green.
Griffith was link between the cul-
tural origins Of the new Irish rebellion
and its more forceful expression. He
carried the torch of Irishism from
Thomas Davies, John MacNeill, joint
ly with w. B. Yeats, ga. E." and
others.
Tonight in the home of "a. E." the
lustrous George Russell, the signifi-
cant literary and artistic figures of
Dub lin, who weekly gather around the
masters rostrum, will reminisce over
Griffith, the cultural leader, the in
genious journalist.
Tomorrow In numerous counting
rooms over the island, and across St.
Georges Channel as WE'LL men of sub
stance will speculate on the economic
of
had been the hope of business during.
the disturbed days of the Free State.
he had been regarded as "safe man."
one who followed no social chimera,
who held no traffic with radicals Crit
hth's dissatisfaction had been political
rather than economic
Charted Way to Freedom
His political doctrine, expressed dur
ing ms more than twenty years of
effective mphleteering, has been ma
tional self-reliance Ireland has been
to him a self contained unit and he
was the first leader to demonstrate to
the people that they possessed the ele
ments OF Independence, economic and
cultural as we'll as political That has
been his chief contribution to the Sim
Fein movement. Others gestlculated
for freedom, but he charted the way.
His belief in Irish aloofness was so
strong that he stressed it at all times.
On the occasion of my first meeting
with him he indicated pointedly that
he cared not at all for foreign help
or understanding, not even from the
America to which some of his con-
temporarics were forever turning. 1t
was in January of this year, within a
week from the time the provisional
government had assumed control of
Irish affairs and had established quar-
tiers in the Dublin City Hall and the
Mansion House. l had called by ap.
pointment at his office in the latter
building for an interview After ar
hours wait in the chilly reception
hall, dominated by a horribly gross
oil painting of Queen Victoria, the
startlingly loud alarm bell at the doc,
sounded. A page admitted Griffith anc
he walked stiffly into his office.
moment later John Brown, his secre
tary, came out to summon me into the
presidential presence, for Griffith ther
was chief executive of the republic
as we'll as head of the provisional gov
| eminent.
He was standing before a window
looking over the Mansion House court
he gave no sign of my entrance, othel
than to divert his gaze to me- stated
my errand hurriedly, impelled to brew
ity by his rigid manner.
81 cannot give an interview" he said
ut is my rule"
l persisted, pleading the interest o.
many interested readers in the United
| States.
Time Only for Ireland
II have no concern for American
opinion" he said in level tone, stand
ing lmmovable as statue. 81 have
time only for Ireland" He did re-
lent to the extent of debating a fifty
word statement dealing with his hope
that the renewed Ireland would eter
nalize the ancient virtues of the
Gael and stand as a spiritual exampl.
to the world. Then he bowed, his
body bending at the middle, and ex
tended his hand.
left with the impression that | hac
been with man of steel. His chilled
blue eyes, his immobility and the stee
bridge and springs Of his nose glasses
contributed to the illusion.
Later John Brown and others, mer
who had known him, for many years
told me that his exterior was q she'll
maintained to hide = a shy, sensitive
SOUL
HE is poet and~mystics at heart,
was Drown revelation. people thlnl
he is different from the run of Irish
leaders, that he has no fire, no passion
| no imagination. That is not true He
has driven himself to be practical, tc
appear solid, and he assumes his cold
uny1elding demeanor to prevent yield.
Ing to momentary moods"
he Stunned crowds and avoided pub
lie speaking partly because of his mod
esty and partly because he knew that
he was no flaming evangel to call the
people to enthusiasm. That job was
left to his vivid colleague, Michael
Collins, who, lacking his persistence