Brave Funeral

At the door of Mansion House, Dublin, a queue of mourners formed last week, four abreast and stretching back a distance slightly greater than one mile. Within, tall white candles lighted the bier of a 34-year-old man robed in the habit of Our Lady of Carmel. His expression was serene. The pallid hands enfolded a crucifix resting upon his breast. This was Kevin Christopher O'Higgins, in life Vice President and Minister of Justice of the Irish Free State. Three undetected gunmen had murdered him from their automobile (TIME, July 18); and last week Free State citizens seemed even more grief-stricken than after the murder in 1922 of the first provisional head of the Irish Free State, Michael Collins.

Toward midnight four workmen were screwing down the coffin lid. "Wait! Stay a moment!" called a voice out of the gloom. The workmen started, then stepped back respectfully as the Governor-General and the President of the Irish Free State entered. The coffin lid was raised, and more candles were brought.

Several long moments passed while Governor-General Timothy Michael Healy stared down at the corpse of his nephew. Then he bent down and kissed the forehead of Kevin O'Higgins. A moment later President William T. Cosgrave laid his right hand on the dead man's brow, standing for a moment in farewell contemplation.

At last the workmen were allowed to commence once more their screwing down of heavy coffin bolts.

Next day 500,000 persons watched as the coffin was drawn upon a gun carriage to the grave. At the cemetery President Cosgrave was so overcome by emotion and the excessive heat that he collapsed upon the ground. Strong arms raised him up. The service was majestically completed.

During the week the government party of President Cosgrave sought to establish a political motive for the murder, while simultaneously Opposition leaders such as Mr. de Valera expressed the opinion that private vengeance most probably motivated the assassins.

Said Mr. Cosgrave: "This crime has not been committed by private individuals against Kevin O'Higgins. It was the fruit of a steady persistent attack against the State and its fundamental institutions. On the head of those who have devoted themselves to that attack lies the blood guilt."

Mr. de Valera, who certainly comes under the head of an attacker of the present State, said: "The assassination of Kevin O'Higgins is murder and inexcusable from any standard. I am confident no Republican organization is responsible for it, or would give it countenance. It is the duty of every citizen to set his face sternly against anything of the kind. It is a crime that cuts to the root of all representative government, and no one who realizes what it means could do otherwise than condemn and deplore it."

Meanwhile most observers recalled with only praise for the murdered Kevin O'Higgins how he had restored police power and the majesty of justice within the Free State--putting down with impartial severity all rebels, many of them his personal friends. The spleen which Kevin O'Higgins engendered by this necessary severity was vented last week very typically by one Father John Dooley of Corpus Christi Church, Manhattan. Said Father Dooley of Kevin O'Higgins:

"We can say little more than 'God have mercy on his soul.'

"We must feel that it is to Ireland's benefit that he has gone. He was known as a merciless person; hundreds of persons have fled for their very lives, to this coun- try, because of the fear with which they held O'Higgins. I do not think there will be any political effect but I do think that sheer fear caused a group to determine to kill him as the only means of safety.

"This man who is held responsible for the killing of 50 or 60 young men who dared to defy his power was held to be nothing less than a Nero."

In Dublin the offices formerly held by Kevin O'Higgins were apportioned last week between President Cosgrave and Minister of Finance Ernest Blythe. Mr. Blythe was to become Vice President; and President* Cosgrave assumed the portfolio of Justice.

*"The terms "President" and Vice President," when used in connection with the Irish Free State are exactly synonymous with "Premier" and "Vice Premier," as those titles are everywhere understood. Technically Premier Poincare is "President of the Council of Ministers of the French Republic" ; and the full title of Mr. Cosgrave is "President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State." He is called simply "President" (occasionally even by the U. S. State Department in official communications) purely as a courtesy title.