The Washington times., 1922-03-12
By ROBERT J. PREV,

BY ROBERT J. PREV.
Unfvsrssl Service Staff Correspsndsnt.
CORK, March 11.--''Ireland won
the war with England by b. b. and
B.-brains. bravery and boycott"
This is the judgment OF the leading
men of Cork. a city that was more
honored than any other with the at.
tention Of the British army and its
auxiliaries. and Of which It can be
said that 1t had q more vivid "cioss
up" Of the war than any other CEN
ter of population in the country.
These three BIS" certainly played
a tremendous part In bringing VIC
tory to Erin. In what was more .
battle OF wits than q trial Of force,
Irish brains went to the front At
the start and never lost the lead.
Irish bravery in the field is not, of
| course. any more questioned than
French bravery. The boycott Of Ul-
ster goods, devised by Michael Col
Inns during the war and speedily and
| wisely ended by him Immediately
after the signing Of the treaty. re-
acted as q political factor. 1t struc,s
at the commercial prosperity OF the
Orangemen and forced him to bring
forth call for peace on terms 60
ceptable to Sim Fein.
Mysterious Brotherhood.
But there 10 another "B" that runs
like an unbroken thread through the
history of Ireland's most recent
fight for freedom--the brotherhood
Of the Irish Republic.
Enhancing mystery and the CLAM.
| or Of romance still surround the 1.
r. B. 1t continues In being. quiet
In this period Of transition. but ever
watchful and ever prepared for ac-
ton for the welfare OF Ireland. 1t
exerts no baleful influence over ma
tional affairs. It is the hidden force
that drives Erin along the road to
freedom, and II will not cease to ex.
list until the country has won abso-
lutte Independence.
Here in the extreme south of ire
land public men talk OF II in whis-
pers. They are none too sure OF their
facts, and are not able to name any
one who Is In q position to tell the
inside story OF this secret society.
Probably q properly authenticated
story of, the 1. r. B. never VIII be
told. But ! talked about the sub
| ject with q prominent Cork public
man who has taken q passionate
interest in every phase Of the fight
for freedom, and whose experience
| In civic and business life entitled him
to credenoe. He said:
'It is doubtful whether the
Brotherhood now numbers. or has
ever numbered in the past, more
than sixty members. 1t may also
be questioned whether any men,
Der Of the Provisional Government
of the Free State Is a member.
Mainspring Of Movement.
I'm any event, the brotherhood
has been the handspring Of the
freedom for ireland movement.
without Il, II In an open question
whether the Irish Republican Army
could have operated against the Brit
ish with success.
"The 1. r. b. was formed in 1857.
| and, therefore, dates back to the
Fenian movement. Ever since then
IL has been a very Jealousiy guarded
| inner circle, narrowed down in MEM
bership to the least possible number
| consistent with the efficiency OF its
operations.
"Mers professions Of loyalty to
| the Irish cause never quaiifled any
man for membership. regardless OF
his social standing and his public
| record. OF late years, at least, when
| n was seen that the country was
again about to become ripe to fight
| for it's freedom, the closest scrutiny
was applied to local political lead
| ers for perhaps as long as ten years,
before they were deemed worthy OF
! admission to the Brotherhood.
| Necessarily. therefore, the growth
| of the I. r. B. was slow, lust as the
! country's march towards independ-
| ence has been slow; but at least 1t
was sure. 1t Ia supposed to be pos
sible for spies to worm their way
| into any secret society. There was
never any spy in the i. r. b.
A Close Corporation.
"In its work for the salvation Of
its country, the organization trusted
no one who was not of It. Perhaps
that is why the British Secret Ser
vice agents failed SO ludicrously in
| Ireland. When the i. r. b. was
needed to carry out any considerable
operation, the officer commanding
the column detailed for the work
never received his orders until he
had marched his men to a prear-
ranged spot and was about to go
into action. This system made leak
ages practically impossible. Prob
ably no army ever operated with
such complete secrecy as did the L.
r. A., and for this happy state Of
affairs the I. r. b. Is chiefly to be
praised. The I. R. A. columns were
never trapped by the British by
reason Of foreknowledge OF Irish
military plans conveyed through
their intelligence officers"
I asked whether such a highly ef-
ficient secret society as the I. r. b.
might not become a menace to a
properly constituted Irish State.
That In not In the least likely"
said my informant. The Brother
hood has always been animated by
the purest patriotism and nothing
else. It Is generally understood