SINN FEIN AND REVOLUTION

WILL SOCIAL CONDITION LEAD TO IMMEDIATE REVOLUTION?


"Eamonn De Valera, the President of the Irish Republic, who has been in
hiding since his escape from Lincoln jail, will be welcomed back to Dublin
by a public reception. Tomorrow evening at seven o'clock he will be met at
the Mount street bridge by Lawrence O'Neill, Lord Mayor of Dublin...."

The news note was in the morning papers. In small type it was hidden on the
back pages--the Irish papers have a curious habit of six-pointing articles
in which the people are vitally interested and putting three-column heads
on such stuff as: "Do Dublin Girls Rouge?" That day the concern of the
people was unquestionably not rouge but republics. For the question that
sibilated in Grafton street cafes and at the tram change at Nelson pillar
was: "Will Dublin Castle permit?"

Orders and gun enforcement. The empire did not deviate from the usual
program of empires--action without discussion. In the crises that are
always occurring between organized revolt and the empire, there is never
any consideration of the physical agony that goads the people to revolt.
There wasn't now. By early afternoon, the answer, on great, black-lettered
posters, was swabbed to the sides of buildings all over town:

"DE VALERA RECEPTION FORBIDDEN!"

That was the headline, and after instructions warning the people not to
take part in the ceremony, the government order ended: