The Washington times., 1922-09-28
By HAYDEN TALBOT.
Copyright. 1Os2. New York American.
Chapter l6, Section 3.

Continuing his recital of the re-
ception accorded him by De Valera
and others on his return from the
treaty negotiations, Michael Collins
said:
DE Valera showed us tele-
graphed appeal to the Irish people
sent from London that morning by
Art O'Brien, head of the Irish Self
Determination League. BE not ms
led into thanksgiving without
cause the telegram read. Com
plcte sovereignty is claim which
no nation can forego. And until
il is met in our case, we OF the
Irish race cannot and will not
rejoice. 49,.
1--WE quickly made it plain that
we expected no aCClamatlonS OF
joy that might properly follow a
national triumph. We asked and
wanted no throwing up of hats no
fervid demonstrations of any kind.
We did ask and did want calm,
deliberate FAIR consideration OF
the results of our labors in Lon
don.
"Of the l21 members of Dali
Eireann, 112 were veterans of the
war and men who had served at
least one term in an English jail.
His Hardest Task.
MANY of them have been
arrested and imprisoned three and
even five times. A few have
served prison term as many as
nine times And to these TeaChtae
OF the Dali we submitted the treaty
with it's oath OF allegiance. That
I will he faithful to His Majesty
King George, his heirs and sue
Cessors by law We knew how
hard it was going to be for these
men who had suffered so much
at the hands of England-to take
that oath. But who is going to
say that their difficulty Is any more
painful than ours?
Il talked with these men, and
tried my best to reason with them.
The world knows the result A
ma ajority of seven in Dahl Eireann
brought the treaty into being. But
the minority left me in no doubt
as TO where | stood in their eSti-
nation.
Few of Them chose to say it open
lyi but all of them held that l was
not the same man who told the young
Volunteers at Rathfarnham that
Irish freedom is coming because Of
the men who have died-and because
of the men who are still prepared to
die.' / was the same man. | am the
same man. And | say now what /
said at Rathfarnham-with the diff
ference that now | say, Irish freedom
has come!
Not Outwitted.
"Of course the Dali discovered that
there was a serious split in the Cabi-
net at the first of the secret sessions
I'm December. De Valera had just
motored back from the west. Brug
ha was on hand fresh from an in
spection of the army that had taken
him all over Ireland. Both were con-
WINGED that the vast majority of the
people would support them in any
move they made. And, for a few
days. this was fact undoubtedly.
The people still hailed De Valera
az their leader. They applauded
him when he told them, We have
counted the cost. and we shall not
quail even though the full price of
our freedom has to be paid" Brave
words. truly! Applauded. certainly.
But reason was not yet to prevail.
"Brugha told us in one of the sc.
cret sessions that we had fallen to
NIarkieviCz held us in scorn because
we had proved ourselves incapable
Of matching swords with the Welsh
wizard
DE Valera referred to his own
fpars-fears that led him to abstain
from taking part i'm the negotiations.
He admitted his fear that he might
succumb to the British prime minis.
ter's Cunning-and then. apparently
on the verge of tears, declared that
this is what had happened 10 us.
The man who had taken the measure
OF Woodrow Wilson and Georges
ClemenCeau had outwitted us. This
is what De Valera told the Teachtae.
IT WAS NOT TRUE.
UnCOnQuerable Race.
'"The truth, as I have tried to
make it plain. is that Lloyd George
was we'll informed. The militarists
in Whitehall were pressing for an
immediate onslaught by sea and land.
They bclieved-and many of them
stu believe-thatth the late Lord Sails.
bury spoke accurately when he said
that the, Irish are no more fitted for
self.governmcnt than the Hotten.
tots What Ireland needed, declared
these advocates of ruthlessness, was
twenty N'blS VI ltSOluNt government.
Lloyd George did not believe this.
rcpeat-he was well informed He
knew we had organized on national
scale and could count on 5000, 900
men, women and children TO do their
part of the task of fighting the
British armed forces in guerilla war.
fare. He knew the British garrison
in Ireland all told numbered $50. 900
men. He knew what IL would mean
90 conquer the Irish people. lie did
not want to have to do II.
Lloyd George knew that the
Terror had failed-that 1t had been
not only nonadeterrent, but had
actually swelled the patriotic fervOr
az the youth OF ireland! He know
that th" morning they hanged young
llcvin Rarry $50 young men of Dub
In enrolled themselves in tho army
"IlC knew that we were smuggling
Guns and ammunition into ireland
Throughout the truce. IlC know wc
were recruiting and drilling. He