Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-29
IRISH COMMUNISTS
GIVEN FRESH HOPE
BY GRANT GORDON
Especial Cable to The Atlanta Journal and
Chicago Daily News-Copyrlght 1927

Especial Cable to The Atlanta journal ana
Chicago Daily News-Copyrlght, 1927
LONDON, Aug. 26.-For months
small communist minority within
the ranks Of the Irish army has
striven for the acceptance Of it's rev.
dictionary program. The death Of
Michael Collins, following that of
Arthur Griffith has melted them to
new efforts for they hope to thrive
on chaos.
When the extremists precipitated
the civil war, long recognized as in
evitable by careful observers, the
reds went with them, not because
they approved the program of the
die-hard Republicans Ghey had
none) but because they believed that
the confusion consequent upon
blind and desperate rebellion would
play into their hands.
The reds have redoubled their pro-
paganda efforts in the last few
weeks and as the plight of the il
regulars has grown more desperate
their influence has widened. The
reds are arguing that the one hope
of the rebels is to appeal to the di-
rect, personal interests of the peas
ants and laborers. For the shibbo.
leth defend the republic" they
would substitute: Down with rent;
full wages to all unemployed In
London there is no little apprehen-
sion at this turn of events, and I am
informed that developments in the
next two or three weeks should
prove the success or faiulre of the
reds to capture Mr.. De Valera's lit
tie rebellion. ~.
Preparations are now being made
for a secret meeting of Republican
leaders to which the newly elected
labor members of the Dali will prob
ably be invited. Out of this meet
ing is expected to come formal
proclamation Of republic and
forecast of the new government s"
economic program. The program as
at present drafted, while innocent of
red catch words, like soviets, social
ism, dictatorship of the proletariat,
etc., includes: Seizure Of land and
it's distribution amongst landless
cancellation Of all debts and mort.
cages; compulsory rationing Of all
available housing accommodation;
abolition of rents; full union wages
to all unemployed; universal Grm.
ing Of all workers in town and coun-
try.
Such program, argue the reds,
will attract far more adherents
among the poor Of which Ireland has
plenty, than vague something
called Republicanism, and as for the
Free State-that's the 'Kerensky
phase" an affair of the land owners
and the employers.
The reds have specific proof in
plenty Of their growing strength.
Throughout Munster creameries
have been seized and in most
instances held. Farms, it is claimed,
are being operated by the workers
council Of action; the Tipperary gas
works has been seized. The radical.
press coolly announces that the
product of the 60 "soviet cream
cries" is being sold in Britain but
that efforts to sell in Ireland are
being prevented by British and Free
State authorities. Twenty-Five tons
Of 'soviet butter" is said to have
been seized at Falmouth recently
and 800 pounds sent to Glasgow was
detained by the authorities.
A secret civil organization is being
built up in conenction with the Re-
publican forces. This is patterned
after the Russian model, the various
units" electing representatives to
a central committee, the executive
Of which is nominated by the army
council.
While the Morning Posts" state
ment that the most probable develop.
ment of the guerilla warfare and
reckless destruction Of property now
in progress in Ireland is the estab-
lishment Of a bolshevist republic,
may be unwarranted pessimism it
is true that the outstanding tend
ency in Ireland today is toward
substitution of class war for the
present purely political struggle