OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1922, Page 5

OBITUARY.

IRISH LEADER’S DEATH, MR. ARTHUR GRIFFITH. HIS WORK FOR PEACE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Aug. 13, 5.5 p.m. London, August 12. \The death of Mr. Arthur Griffith (leader of the Dail Eireann) occurred suddenly in Dublin, of heart failure. Mr. Lloyd George telegraphed to Mr. M. Collins: “I am deeply distressed to learn of Mr. Griffith’s death. My admiration for his single-minded patriotism, ability, sincerity and courage has grown steadily since first we met less than a year ago. His character made a deep impression on the British Ministers who shared with him those unremitting labors in which he was called upon to play so testing and difficult a part. His loss is a heavy one for Ireland, but I trust his work will continue to complete success.” Mr. Lloyd > George also telegraphed to the widow in similar terms, adding: “I am certain Ireland will always reverence his memory as one of her most loyal, gifted and courageous son^” —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE CAUSE OF DEATH. RECOVERING FROM ILLNESS. Received Aug. 13, 11.5 p.m. London, August 12. Mr. Griffith had been a patient in a private hospital at Dublin for a fortnight. He was recovering from influenza, and had also been operated upon for tonsilitis. While proceeding to the bathroom in the morning he fainted, but regained consciousness after being put to bed. A priest was summoned. Mr. Griffith collapsed again and died in a few minutes from cerebral hemorrhage. All cinemas and theatres in Dublin decided to close until Tuesday. The opening of the Dublin Horse Show was postponed.

The late Mr. Griffith, as the leader of the Sinn Fein Parliament, played an important part in the negotiations with Britain towards a settlement of the Irish question. He accompanied Mr. de Valera to London for the conference in July, 1921, and later joined in other peace missions, and the success of the recent negotiations was due in a great measure to the policy of this Irish leader, who at once had to reconcile his loyalty to the Irish with a desire to find a settlement acceptable to the British Government.- The outcome was a split in the ranks of Sinn Fein, Mr. de Valera being left to voice the views of the extremists and Mr. Griffith and Mr. Michael Collins leading the moderate section of the Irish, which brought about the creation of the Free State and resulted in a substantial vote of confidence from the Irish people at the first election for the Free State Parliament.

The late Mr. Griffith was the- originator of the Sinn Fein movement. He was the son of a Dublin compositor, and he was a reader on the staff of an Irish journal. Returning from South Africa, whither he went about 25 years ago, he published a volume drawing a parallel between Hungary and Ireland, and urging a Sinn Fein policy. He founded various journals, which were suppressed, and he has been imprisoned on political charges.