Evening star., 1922-02-26
Leaders, Abashed After Week
of Sayings and Manning.
in Chastened Mood.
MISCREANTS ARE BLAMED
Disposition to Seek Common Under
standing and End to Disorders
Seems Growing.
BY GEORGE n. BARNES,
British Parliament Leader.

By Radio to The Star.
LONDON, February 25.-Last weeks
orgy of bloodshed at Belfast, together
with this weeks murders of British
officers at Cork and Dublin, have. par
adoxically enough. improved the sit
uation in Ireland, for they have
sobered the spokesman Of both main
denominational sections in that un-
happy country.
Hitherto it has been the custom for
each side to blame the other for all
acts of violence. Recrimination now
has been ruled out by obvious facts
The killings and maimings are the
work of miscreants on both sides.
Even if most of the thirty-two Bel
fast deaths could be traced to Catho-
lies. it is still true that the most dla,
bolical act in the northern capltal
was the throwing of a bomb into
crowd of children at play in the
Catholic part of the city.
The leaders on both sides are some-
what abashed. In that chastened
to reach a common understanding.
Michael Collins, head of the free state.
and Sir James Craig, Ulster premier,
have each appointed liaison officers
TO patrol the boundary line with a
view of preventing further outbreaks
or raids from either side.
Devy ON Collins Side.
John Devy, an old associate of
Michael Davitt, has come out on the
side of Collins, and the southern peo-
pie on the whole appear to be set
Ting down to normal life. All of
this can be counted on the asset side
from the point of view of the reStora-
tion of order and new era in Irish
life on the terms of the Downing
street agreement.
But there is an element in the sit
nation which cannot be ignored. and
that is time. The heads of the pro-
visional government are in an un-
enviable position in that they are
acting in behalf of people difficult
to govern because of past misgov-
ernment. 1t is a condition of things
which is bound to develop difficulties
the longer it lasts.
Eamon De Valera has carried his
point with the Sim Fein of postpon-
ing an election until after the formu-
lation of constitution. 1t is also to
be observed that in the propaganda
on which he has launched himself he
as dropped the much discussed "Docu-
ment No. 3" which was to be the
Dublin alternative to the agreement
signed by his original plenipotenti-
aries. and he is focusing the atten-
tion of the prospective electors to the
clear and narrow issue of acceptance
or rejection of the treaty.
Two Disquieting Features.
Meantime there are two other
rather disquieting features in the
situation which have presented them
selves during the week.
First, there is the fact that some
of the southern Irish armed forces
have become out of hand, and, second,
there was the feeling against the
treaty exhibited at the Sim Fein
clubs convention at Dublin on We'd
neSday.
Neither Of these. however, need be
taken too seriously. They are, after
all, but expressions OF emotional ex-
tremist sections bred and nurtured
in five years of ferment.. Yet they
do serve to emphasize need for the
earliest possible appeal to people who
must ultimately assume final respon-
sibility.
The fixing of the boundary lines 10
going to be the most troublesome ele-
ment in the near future. 1t should,
If possible, be settled now by con-
sent, but unfortunately neither side
seems disposed at present to approach
it in reasonable spirit. Failing
such a settlement now, 1t should be
allowed to stand over until such time
as both Dublin and Belfast get set
tied down to administer the re-
spective areas as delimited in the act
of 1920. BY that time both may be
i''''."ed with a due sense of RESPONSE
bility. There is no urgency, per Sc,
Tor any adjustment of. the boundary.