The Washington times., 1922-09-09

youth of Mexico. y
the black and tans are recruited
from, ex-soldiers for a rough and
dangerous task ...
And just what, was this rough |
and dangerous task?' To begin |
with, there was the planned killing
Of certain leading Irishmen and Of.
ficers Of the Irish Republican
army. The names Of these men /
were entered on list for def
mite clearance Then all who
ttonal movement were to he impris- |
oned. The general population was !
to be terrorizeds to whatever extent |
and by whatever means might be
| necessary to insure their being |
kept In submission. -
ITO accomplish these things II |
was the part of wisdom to pretend |
to. have justifying causes. So we |
find Lloyd George, in a speech at !
Carnarvon. In October. 1920. talk. /
ing about the Irish Republican |
army as a real murder gang 1t |
had become necessary to put down |
murderous conspiracy'--to get |
murder by the throat
Defensive Violence.
"The murders that we commit |
ted were legitimate acts OF self de-
fense forced upon US by English op- |
preston. After two years of for. |
bearance we had begun to defend |
ourselves and the life Of our ma.
ton. Let 1t be remembered that we |
did not initiate the war. nor were |
we allowed to choose the methods |
along which the war developed. Let |
the facts speak for themselves.
England made II a criminal--in |
large areas-a capital offense to car
ry arms. At the same time she in |
augurated a brutal and murderous
campaign against US. BY SO doing |
England forfeited any right to COM |
plain against the Irish people for !
whatever means they took for their |
protection.
"Our only way to carry on the |
fight was by organized and bold |
guerrilla warfare. But this In itself |
was not enough. However success. |
full our ambushes, England could al |
ways reinforce her army. She could |
always replace every soldier she lost. !
And that was the real reason for the |
coming into being Of our intelligence |
staff.
"To paralyze the British machine |
it was necessary to strike at individ- |
uals. without her secret service +!
working at the top Of its efficiency |
England was helpless. 1t was only !
by means of their accumulated and |
accumulating knowledge that the !
British machine could operate. |
Without their police throughout the |
country 1t was impossible to find |
wanted men. without their crimi-
nal agents in the capital 1t was
hopeless. to effect the removal OF
those leaders marked down for MUIR |
der. II was these men We had to
putSHut of the way.
"Spies are nota 30 ready to step
into the shoes Of their departed con.
federates as are soldiers to fill up
the front line in honorable battle.
And even when the new spy stepped
into the shoes of the old one, he
could not step into the old ones
knowledge.
II know that the English spies
who came to their deaths at our
hands deserved their deaths l
know also that a world press re-
ported these murders as the limit OF
cold blooded villainy. But 1t is not
true. We had to strike at individ-
uals, and by so. doing shake the
morale of the organization that
meant to crush the life Of the Irish
| nation.
No Other Recourse.
1--WE went at the grim business,
! difficult as II was, not because we
relished 1t, but because the enemy
left us no other course. And so far
as 1t was possible, we observed the
rules of war. Only the armed
forces. the spies and the criminal
agents of the British government
were attacked. Prisoners Of war we
treated honorably and CONSIDERABLY,
and they were released unharmed
after they had been disarmed.
Murders committed by the Eng
lish forces were justified on the
grounds that the perpetrators were
but enforcing the law'-restorinS
law and order in Ireland Murders
committed by us were murders.
"In the end British government
awoke to realization Of the fact that
| it's policy of violence was as futile
as Il was constituencies. Eventu-
ally, the day arrived when the British
prime minister invited the Irish
ieaders-the 'murderers' and heads
of the murder gang'-to discuss with
him terms of peace. a. -.
"The fruits of that peace seemed
to be within. our reach in the treaty.
Is it possible that the dawn OF peace
is yet long way off in the future?
Are the Irish people to struggle
through long years Of new misery,
because a minority insists on proving
that we are still unfit and unable
to givern ourselves? ..
"I cannot bring myself to believe
thatp+ ". . <,..g..,"
The next installment Of Michael
Collins own story win be published
at an carly date, to bc ANNOUNCED