Evening star., 1922-11-26
DEATH Of CH|[DERS
IS FUEL TO REVOLT
Irish Free State Government
Faces Most Trying
Period.
BY ARTHUR S. DRAPER.
By Cable to The Star and New York Tribune.

BY Cable to The Star and New York Tribune.
Copyright. 192c.)
LONDON. November 25.-One Of the
immediate consequences of the exc
cution of Ers'k inc Chllders is that the
Free State government is placed In a
position in many ways similar to that
occupied by the Lloyd George gov
ernmaAt during the period two years
ago when the "black and tan" forces
were being used to rcpress the re-
bellious republicans.
The shooting of Childers, following
the execution of four Dublin youths
for carrying weapons and accom-
panying the provisional government 5
permissive attitude toward Mary Nc
Swiney's hunger strike. is striking
notice that the Cosgrave ministry has
entered on policy equally as stern
as that pursued by Lloyd George and
Sir Hamar Greenwood at the helSht
of the trouble"
The question uppermost now with
friends of Ireland here is whet her
the reaction of the orerpncilable
forces will be as savage and effectual
to an irish government beat on up
holding order as it WAS t. tn. Brit
Expect Britain to Intervene.
Not "a few observers believe that
the De Valera obstructioniStS Will be
strengthened with the people as a
protest against the executions ana
that the Irish republican army will be
able to wage more successful Suefrllla
war against the free state, finally de-
stroying it's authority. Indeed, 1t is
held in many quarters IN London thae
land until the British government
will be compelled to intervene for the
sake of the peaceable majority. Ihe
Irish correspondent OF the OUTLOOK
writes: ut is my belief that the Free
State government will in a month or
two throw up the sponge apd we shall
be left with two rivals for power
first, De Valera and the republican
politicians and army, and second, the
Free State army. 10000 strong.
That was written, however. before
the Childers execution and the writer
might desire.to modify his views. For
there is I, possibility, much empha-
sized in "die hard" circles here, that
the application of rigorous force VIII
bring the irregulars to their senses
and enlist the war-weary plaln people
of Ireland more Solidly on the sue VI
the Free State.
Thes. commentators say that the
British government would have sue
ceeded in pacifyinS the lsland II ~
had pursued an invariable policy OF
firmness, asserting that the irish peo-
pie are more easily persuadea os re-
lentless force than by weakness
Events within the next fortnight
NAV we'll spell the fate of the free
state, or at least the CoSsraEe gov
ernment. At the moment reports from
Dublin indicate that the Irish repub-
lican army is preparing 10 take up
f1a IL
ton and to risk a serious engage
ment with Mulcahys army. The out
come of a pitched battle would have
a ponderable bearing on the future
of the government and. while the out
come cannot be foretold. it appears
that the free staters, who are well or
ganized. disciplined and equipped.
should be more than match Tor the
haphaZard elements of the De Nelera-
ties. however courageous the latter
might be. There is no doubt that the
irregulars have succeeded in demoral-
izing the life and the government OF
southern Ireland to greater degree
than the AnglO-Irish strife developed.
Execution Upheld.
All the London newspapers pub
lished the story of the execution as
the leading feature of the days news
and most of them carried long edl-
torials. wherein they upheld the
Dublin governments TlSHtS u exc
cute Childers, but question the ex-
pediency of the act. although in most
cases they qualify their doubt by
saying those responsible for the
stern measure must have been well
aware of it's effect on public opinion.
Friends of Childers could offer no
objection to the tone or temper OF the
comments in the British press before
and after the execution.
There is general agreement
among the editors that the Irish
government is compelled to take
some steps to abate the reign of Vio-
lence. A writer in 'The Nation" says
ireland is afflicted with "A neurosls
of murder"
Should peace come to Ireland
through the iron-handed policy now
in force. and following the ratifica-
ton of the free state constitution by
the Westminster parliament, the
task ahead of the Cosgrave ministry
would be colossal and there seems
little room for hope that it's efforts
would not be subject to interruption
from the irreconcilables for some
time to come.
DUBLIN REPORTED QUIET.