The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-26

L4Ddoo~ July yso-Irrespopsfbie mill itary soverufnent like that in Ire land. fs a detsstablc thing at the best. Rooted fin wrong principal, 1t ensen- ders every kind of wrong. cruelty. and tnJustice> Irish-American dele gates visited Ireland and saw this system working. Having the ordinary instincts of free men. as well as a pro- found sympathy with what is their own native land, they were revolted evon by ordinary departures from the kind of civilized government to which they arc accustomed, anu grew white hot with indignation at tho worst consequences of expressing by military force O perfectly leEitt- mate popular movement for national independence, resting on the over whelniing verdict of a recent general election. They made a report, in which they expressed themselves bot iy. sweepingly, possibly mdgnifylng tho extent of certain evils, certainly emitting to mention others equally grave. But they adopted a certain method, and made n certain proposal, namely, that an impartial CJnln.is- sion sho.ild be instituted 10 Inquire into their charges. To have "docu- mencd'' the whole of tl,eir own er- fort with chapter and verso and full evidence would have filled volumes and taken a year. They were wise not to attempt the task.
 Now I wish to lay strssr on certain points which have been overlooked. There would be no necessity for such an induiry-most of the scandals would have been exposed long ago put for the action of the Irish gov crnment in surpressing ths publica-. ton of e mass of testimony datpaSins to itself The Castle must have It's own version of events ana iL must shield it's own servants through thick and thin. the versino of a victim or opponent might expose it's publish CT to ruin. Fresh efforts are being made now to publish evidence of Secrecy Is the breath of life to ire sponsible governments The dele gates Report itself was suppressed in Ireland for ten days (June s-1S) and only "released" on the day when the Castles reply to 1t appeared.
 It cannot be assumed that this was only inveterate habit taking a stupidly furtive form. There are other explanations. For 1t is not safe To embarass the Irish Government. The liberty of O Republican hangs on a thread. On the 18th last I saw young Frank Gallagher engaged at the Sim Fein offices in taking de- positions rebutting misstatements in Mir Macpherson's reply. As write, hear that he was arrested on the 18th for a speech"
 PreteNts for such action are in numerable. as the long daily lists of arrests" raids and searches shows. Anything "likely to lead to disaffec- tion'' is an offense and no active Republican can possibly avoid laying himself open to arrest Sim F'ein and the Gaelic League have both been proclaimed illegal" so that depor- tations, sporadic or wholesale, are posisble at any moment. The most harmless propa ganda-I have exam ples before mc-has to be secretly printed at grave peril to the printer.
 As the matter stands, then, a Communication of Enquiry would be the only complete satisfactory method of establishing the full truth.
 Governments Reply.
 turn to MT. Macpherson's reply. The proposal for enquiry is ignored. What then? On reflection 1t will be perceived that an official in his pos ition has only two courses open to him He can say, like von Bissing. military government greatest inevita- bls hardships, but the necessities of the case demand military govern nent." Or he can say, Your whole case Is O fabrication. There is no mil itary government, and no necessity for one. There are no cruelties or hardships. I catergorically deny. as q tissue of malignant lies, every sin gle count in your inoIv.m-u-.
 Mir. Macpherson. with an effrontery which extorts respect, takes the lat ter course. and gives us this amaz- ing document. amounting in effect to a claim that his admiration is just and humane, and. above all, nor mai: that he rules a country natural ly disposed to peace, but inexplicably disturbed by the operations of cer- tain criminals who find their way to wei1-manaeed goals or retreats where any hardships they may suffer are duo only to their own perverse wrong-dofng.
 lot us apply some tests.
 Hut first, a word about the ar1eg-