The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-12-18
IR'E;'LAND'SFATE 4
NOW NBALANCE
Ireland Will Choose During
Next Few Months it's Own
Form of Governments
(Bv Charles McCann)

y. ;. I'd,
-! (By Charles McCann) :.,:
lUn!ted Press STAFF Correspondent
'(Copyright, 1922, By United Press)
London (By mail to the United
Press)-Ireland win choose during
the next few months, perhaps weeks,
between responsible government and
its own peculiar form Of Bolshevism'
Launched in a tempestous sea, with
part of its crew and half of. its Of
ficers mutinous, the new Irish Ship
of State has survived nearly year
Of its stormy voyage.
1t has started now upon the last
and the decisive part of its trials.
The Irish people themselves, the
ordinary people who stay at home
and keep the country going, will de-
eide whether the new ship is to win
through to peaceful governmental
waters or be smashed against the
rocks which form the gravestones
of the many Irish Ships of State Of
other years. =.
In beginning to execute rebel gun
men to take as do other governments,
eye for eye and tooth for tooth in
dealing with the .rebellious elements
the Free State has started for the
first time really to function.
It has started also to undergo for
first time the test of Irish public
opinion, perhaps the most changeable
in the world. y
If the government can stand the
test, if it can punish banditry and
murder, here calling itself patriot
ism, as do other civilized govern
ments, the success of the Free State
is assured.
Future Uncertain FL.
If it cannot, and it is by no means
certain that it can, Ireland is in for
years more of the oppression and re-
bellion that have made it the dark
distressful county for centuries.
Irish public opinion is something
which no person, certainly no Irish
man, has hope to fathom. In 1916,
when the Easter rebellion was start
ed, the Republican movement was
t fought not only by the British gov
|ernment but by the Irish people. AS
late as 1918 when Sim Fein succeed
ed in electing its members to the
British Parliament-never to take
their seats, the ordinary Irishman
made no effort to conceal his hatred
and contempt for the organization.
Martyred "Mick" Collins engaged in
at least one free-for-all fight in aid
of one of his fellow-candidates
against the candidates prospective
constituents.
Two years later the entire Irish
nation was behind the Sim Fein, and
helped it through the reign of terror
which won for Ireland the treaty
with Britain.
Sim Fein did not begin to become
Popular until it began being oppres-
sed by the British. That was the
manner in which it won it's way into
the, hearts of the people.
Now an Irish government has tax.
en- over, and there is no question but
that the people are behind it. They
are tired of Valera, tired of his
pack, tired of his ambushcs and as
sassins and robberies.
But they were just as tired in the
early days of Sim Fein until the au-
liberties began executing the partici-
pants. y.
The difference now is that there
is an Irish government in control.
That is the only ground for hope
that the alienation of the Irish rebels
from the sympathies of the people
| is so complete that the execution of
those of them who may be caught
will not change popular support from
the "oppressor" to the Oppressed"
Natural Rebel
Irishmen, even members Of the
government, are uncertain as to the
result. The strain of sentiment in
the Irish people makes them natural
rebels, made it possible for them dur
ing the seven centuries of British
rule to keep always in mind the idea
of being free.
It was necessary for the Free
State government to tighten up, to
deal firmly with the rebels and take
the chance of breaking them or be-
ing broken by the people, or slowly
die of anemia.
The government cannot turn back.
The first announcement, that four
obscure gunmen had been executed,
Emeantr as they knew, that they had
cast the die. y The men executed