The Washington times., 1922-09-27

hoped he might be able to set himself
up in business-a little business in
which he could never have to be
afraid of becoming rich!
Feared to be Rich.
That was a very real fear in Col
Inns mind-perhaps the only fear he
ever knew. On two different occa-
sions II became my duty to acquaint
him with opportunities offered him
by American interests through me.
One of them involved his receiving
a sum Of money greater than the
total of his life's earnings-to be
paid to him for writing a series OF
articles for American publications.
He agred TO write the articles-but
flatly refused to accept payment Tor
them!
Would you think of offering your
President Harding payment tor such
a thing?" he asked soberly. Collins
was chairman Of the provisional
government. and he held that any
act unworthy of that office must
reflect on the dignity of the Irish
nation.
The other offer ! presented to him
called for his leaving the responsible
tiles of government to others and
making a journey to the United
States, where a lecture tour had been
tentatively arranged for him. He
shook his head emphatically. 1t was
out of the question, he insisted. And
when / explained to him that in six
months Of lecturing he could do more
for Ireland's cause in America than
he could ever accomplish II any
other way, he was still adamant in
his refusal even to consider Il.
Faced Hostility.
asked him IL he had any idea
how much money he himself could
earn by such a tour. He grinned
and shook his head. L told him he
would be richer by at least a million
dollars.
THAT settles it," he said with a
chuckle. I'm keep away from
America. A million dollars would
ruin a better man than l am
But, returning to Collins story CT
the homecoming OF the ENJOYS:
The lack of jubilation among the
people" he continued, was dispirit-
ing enough. but it was nothing COM
pared with the open hostility we
faced in the cabinet drawing room
OF the Mansion House. Awaiting us
there were DE Valera, Stack, Brugha
and Mime. Markievicz.
These and others faced us, and
one of the first words of greeting
told US that we had made ourselves
Partners OF the Empire re-referring
To the phrase used by the Lord Chan.
Cellor of England in felicitating Ire.
land.
Before that first conference ended
Griffith and realized what we must
expect from these men and women
with whom all through the years
we had fought the fight for Irish
freedom. From colleagues they had
suddenly changed into enemies. And
vet then-as always ever since
Griffith and | hoped against hope
that we could persuade them.
Plea for Unity.
1T is all very we'll for critics of
the policy which Griffith and /
adopted to declare that this minority
should not have been met by kid
glove methOds-but the Irish people
needed and still need unity above
any other one thing-and unity is
not to he achieved by killing all
those whose opinions make unity i'm
possible Harmony does not spring
from murder. There are few men
in the world whom you can bring to
your point of view by knocking them
down.
Griffith and ] held that the
treaty healed an age-old tragedy. the
first act OF which was played in
Dublin in 1172. when Henry III of
England compelled Ireland's tribal
kings OF swear fealty to him. But
the little group of men and women
facing as in the Mansion House held
a different opinion.
They told us-and for the most
part they were sincere-that the
treaty we had signed was the most
infamous document any Irishmen
ever signed; that every martyrs
widow and most of the army leaders
considered we were guilty of treason.
1t was they-at first-who held the
floor. and had their say. But finally
l had my chance.
"'In signing this treaty, 1 told
them, we have laid the foundation
of peace and friendship with the
people at our side' What / have
signed l shall stand over In the be-
lief that, II 1t brings Ireland no
other blessing, the ending of the con-
fliCt of centuries is the finest thing
that ever happened for the Irish
people
This I told them, but 1t served
to lessen their hostility not at all.
Stack, l remember especially, was
inCensed because Griffith had for
gotten the meaning of Sim Fem
which he mistranslated as Ourselves
Alone Neither Griffith nor l made
answer to this charge-nor indeed
10 any of the charges. Unexpected
As was this vilriolic condemnation
of us, and as little prepared for 1t
as we were, we both grasped the
essential point that recriminations
were useless and worse than USE
less
Michael Collins Own Story" will
he continued tomorrow i'm The WASH