The Irish standard., 1916-10-28
ENGLISHMAN'S
Views OF
POOR IRELAND
SIR FRANCIS vANE WRITES IN
NEW WITNESS OF THE CURSE
ON lRELAND-scoRES ENGLAND
FOR HER BRUTAL MURDERS
AND CONDUCT TOWARDS IRISH
HEROES.

London.-"It will always be a prob.
lem for the political historian how it
ever came about that the most loyal
race in Europe, loyal to their Kings,
loyal to their Faith, loyal to their
Ideals, has obtained the repute, in
the opinion of the average Briton, of
being in a constant state of revolt.
1t is proposed here to give probable
explanation, one so simple in itself as
to be almost staggering in it's blunt.
ness, because England in respect to
ireland has never admitted an error
in policy. while often no doubt sim
cerely deploring It," So says Sir
Francis Vane in the current issue of
Cecil Chesterton's New Witness";
and speaking of the Curse on Ire
land,' he continues:
"The frank admission of error in
Judgment is. perhaps, the most eff
cient method Of captivating an audi
ence, OF disarming hostility, as all who
have experience In the greater politics
know. This, perhaps. on account of an
essential strain in hypocrisy in the
Anglo-SaXOn character, has never been
frankly offered to Ireland by England,
righted. This lack of graoiousness has
generally shifted the odium of evil acts
from the shoulders of the wrongdoers
onto the Government. Not so in this
case. however, though those in imme-
dfate control did their best in restraint.
| The act is reported within on hour of
Its committal to headquarters, yet the
officer responsible for these acts is al.
lowed to remain in active command
for ten days before action is taken.
and this action ia taken only when a
senior officer who recognized the grave
import Of this apparent condonement
of the offense takes upon himself the
duty OF travelling to London and re.
porting the facts to the head of the
army, who then had received no re-
port of the occurrence.
practically, therefore, from April
26 to May 6, while the Rebellion is in
progress, this insane officer who was
known officially to have committed
three murders. was allowed to be in
the position of committing others,
slightly restrained for four days by
being ordered to do work in, and not
out of barracks, in spite of which as
has been proved, once accompanied
by Colonel who came from Head
quarters, he made two other raids on
the house Of one of the murdered men.
ut may be asked in full frankness
what would be thought of such 1axity
If it happened in Hampstead, Chaplain
or Belgravia. Would it not be thought
by the inhabitants of these districts
who were made aware that these
crimes had been committed within 12
hours of the acts that the authorities
held very cheaply the lives of their
innocent fellow citizens? This is, at
any rate, the feeling in Dublin, and
throughout Ireland. Moreover, had
the reporting of these crimes been
delayed much longer, no power on
earth would have prevented the peo-
pie from believing that the Army and
the Government had formed a con-
spiracy to slaughter Irishmen, not be-
cause they were guilty, but simply as
such. We all know that this is not
true, and it is therefore all the more
pitiful to allow it to be believed, be-
cause as long as possible we pursued
the policy alleged to be that of the
ostrich in emergencies"
| K. OF c. vESPER SERVICE,