New-York tribune., 1922-08-23

akkdthtQ III buuhlh <nphts -
~ szn Dublin, on April II, while Collins
was on his way home after having adj
: dressed a meeting at Mas, County
Kildare, he was attacked by group
ss men, soBae with rifles, who rushed
! party returned the fire and one Of the
sssaiIants was captured. Collins was
not injured.
q Mr.. Collins, In addition to being
commander n-chief of the National
ariny. was Finance Minister in the
! Dali Eireann cabinet. He was one OF
those who succeeded in obtaining q
! temporary injunction in New York on
Monday Restraining Eamon de Valera
scs his agents from withdrawing funds
collected for the Irish Republican
2 cause deposited in banks in New York
City.
Collins, always an ardent Sim Feiner,
was among those leaders who, while
holding TO the fundamentals of tradi-
ton for the freedom of Ireland, still
we're willing to effect peace with
Great Britain. 1t became necessary,
in view of the recent operations OF
the irregular forces, for Collins TIC
assume active charge of the National
army in the field, and for some time
he had abandoned the civil part Of the
government for the military.
Americans heard Murder Plot
~. Americans recently arriving in Lon
Z don from Dublin declared that the as
sassination of Collins was forecast in
ireland. It was planned to secure the
/ removal Of the sole remaining out
standing figure in the provisional gov
eminent, and it was said to be also in
49, -.
eahoo ing of Harry j. Boland, the close
. associate of Eamon de Valera, by Free
State soldiers.
is Agitation had been going on for a
considerable time and the walls of
Trinity College and other public build
iiRgs bore the inscription Harry Bo-
5 land Murdered" Posters on telegraph
poles insisted that Boland was shot by
Free Staters when he was unarmed. AS
q measure of precaution, extra guards
were thrown around the national chief
because the determination of the radi-
cal elements to rid the country of the
strong man in the Free State move
sfslent was an accepted fact.
- - known for His Qmiet Force
: OF retiring disposition, and
: known as man who "dodged the
crowd&' Collins nevertheless vas a
8 goverHuest4 asld ia the Aeld. He also
ssesas III orator Of great ability, whose
speeches generally moved his hearers
With Arthur Griffith, Collins was
eunsi1Ared one of the mainstays of the
provisional government since its in
: caption. In the Dali Eireann, after
the conclusion of the peace treaty
with Great Britain, his ringing ad.
dresses upholding the stand of the
men who had gone to London and ar
ranged the treaty embittered the re-
publicans against him. More than
once he announced he was proud that
his signature had been affixed to the
treaty, which he believed would bring
happiness and prosperity back to the
irish people.
Finally, after bitter debate in
which he was aeckled by Eamon De
valera and other leaders of republi.
leans and the Dali ,Eireann ratified the
4 sreaty, Collins was cheered as he
emerged from the session.
During the conferences in London
on the treaty and various other sub.
1ects connected with ireland, David
! a!oyd George, the British Premier:
winston Spencer Churchill, Secreta ~
! Tor the Colonies, and Lord Birkenhead
the Lord High Chancellor, were said
10 nave held Collins in the highest
]. esteem.
Rose Fast From Ranks
Collins developed rapidly from 1915
onward, serving evenfualIv an M;r;st =,
OF Finance in the Sim Fein gnvern
ment, and when the Anglo-Irish treat,
was negotiated it was Collins whs
made the most impression in Downint
street. 1t was Collins's grasp of III.
SITUATION that enabled him to NEE
Lloyd George on apparently eoua
1 terms, and it was his skiilful dipiom
acy and determination that brouph
apout the agreement with Sir Jane
Sralg and aroned out the many diff
cuitles between Ulster and the res
of the Free State. Collins took ey
treme political risks, if not persona
ones, IN negotiating this agreement. TO
{ the radicals on both sides were agains
y, but 1t was this that paved the wa,
Tor the entrance of Ulster into In,
Free State.
There was romance in Collins,s Iif
at this time and if half the storie
oi ms friends can be believed It wa
MISS Kitty Kiernan, who lived at Gran
ara, County Longford, Ireland. who wa
his fancee and helped him through hi
dIificulties. In fact, many regarded he
as the power behind the throne in HI,
SNsssS al SliilS aflQ 3pcGQictet
tnat she would be the ssFirst Lady O
the Land At any rate, Collins oftel
raced away from his duties OF state &
see her and she was his tutor in di
plomacy.
Defended Royal House
During the prolonged debate in tb
+ uaii Eireann on the Anglo-Irish treat,
the Countess Markiewicz made slur
ring remark, in which she coupled tn
names of Collins and the Princes
Mary. Collins was instantly on hi
feet, defending the royal princess an,
his hetrothed
One of Coilins's most notable vic
tories was gained over Eamon de Val
: era at a meeting of the Ard Fheis ths
governing body of the Sim Fein, whicf
net in Dublin last February to DECIDE
which of the two leaders to support
: lie Valera made an eloquent appeal ts
fhs Sim Fein TO maintain its stans
for the recognition of the republie. bui
ne was poweriess against Collins
stand for the treaty, although at one
time it looked as though De Valera
would triumph. II was at that time
Collins said, No power on earth car
divide me from Arthur Griffith"
With the passing of Arthur Griffith
who died August IL, and Collins, the
Irish Free Staters have lost two men
they will find hard to replace. When
Nj. Griffith was buried, Collins
dressed in full uniform as coinman-
dar in chief of the army, was the