Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-06-28


sents the complete report on condi-
lions in Ireland. made to the Peace
Conference by the American Com
missioners--Frank p. Walsh, for
merly of the War Trade Board; for
mer Gov. Edward F. Dunno, of Illi-
nois, and Michael j. Ryan, of Phil
adelphla The publication of this
report in London has created
furore of excitement and has result
ed in demand from some leading
English newspapers for an ade-
quate reply from the British Gov
eminent.
The full text follows:
Upon May 2, 1919, the American
Commission on Irish Independence,
appointed by authority of the Irish
Race Convention, held in Philadel-
phia on the 22nd and GARD days of
February. 1919, consisting of Frank
p. Walsh, Chairman; Edward F.
Dunno and Michael ]. Ryan, under
passports issued by the American
and English Embassies in Paris, de-
parted for Ireland for the purpose
of comforting with President De Va
lera and other officials of the Irish
Republican Government, and to
make a first-hand study of actual
conditions in that country.
When the passports were handed
to the American Commissioners on
the morning of their departure for
Ireland, Sir William Wiseman stated
that Mr.. Lloyd George wished the
Commission to go to all parts of
Ireland, If possible, and it was his
especial request that they should
visit Belfast. Upon repeating Sir
William Wiseman's request to
Messrs. Sean T. O'Ceallaigh and
George Gavan Duffy, the ENJOYS of
the Irish Republican Government at
Paris, they joined in the request
that we should make a close inves-
tigation of conditions in Ireland,
and especially urged that we should
visit the Iails, particularly those in
the larger cities, where, they assert
ed, hundreds of men and women
were confined under circumstances
of the most shocking nature.
Crossing the Irish Sea from Holly
head to Dunleary we came upon
the first evidence of the military
occupation Of Ireland. The vessel
and wharves swarmed with soldiers,
fully equipped for the field, going
to and coming from Ireland When
we arrived in Ireland we found SOL
diers everywhere. A careful investi-
cation, made on the day before we
left Irland, showed that the Army
of Occupation numbers considerably
over 100000 men, to which acces-
10 10 m
troops are equipped with lorries, ar
mored cars, tanks, machine guns,
bombing planes, light and heavy ar
tillery, and in fact all of the en-
gines of war lately employed against
the Central Powers
GIN addition to this, there are
approximately $4,000 members of
the Royal Irish Constabulary. The
constabulary is branch of the mil
itary forces. They are armed with
rifles. as well as small side arms,
engage in regular drill , and field
maneuvers. They are never resi-
dents of the districts which they oc-
cupy, and have quarters in regular
Government barracks. After our
arrival in ireland we conferred with
President De Valera as to the pris-
ons which we should visit, and
Mountjoy Jail, in the City of Dub
lin, was selected, for the reason that
it contained a large number of poll
teal prisoners, many of them men
of the highest character and stand
ing. Mountjoy, so far as physical
equipment and brutality of conduct
goes, is not as bad as many of the
other jails in Ireland.
1--WE made our demand for per
mission to visit this Jail through
the municipal authorities of the city
of Dublin. The Governor of the
prison, resident of England, who
had been in office but few weeks
refused us admission. 1t was Their
explained to Sir John Irwin. Chair
man of the Visiting Justices o.
Mountjoy Prison. that the commits
sion was travelling on diplomatic
passports and was investigating con
ditions in ireland partly at the so
iicitation OF the Prime Minister
| With this explanation, Sir John Ir
win, who is in supreme authority O.
the jail, overruled the decision o
the Governor, and we were admitted
to Mountjoy. When we appeared a
the gate we were ushered into thu
office of the Governor, where W.
found Sir John Irwin. The Gov
ernor told us that we were to b
admitted to the prison. but with tn
understanding that we should no
speak to any prisoner, nor to seel
to fix the identity of any prisone
exhibited. Although Mountjoy
called Jail. 1t is, as a matter o
fact, a combination of jail and pen
itentiary. 1t is surrounded by
stone wall twenty feet in height an
is larger than any of the midwest
ern American penitentiaries, such a
Jefferson City or Joliet. and almos
as large as Sing Sing. 1t has i'm
mense cell houses, built to accom-
modate approximately 1000 prison
, ers 1t is equipped with workshop
! where men convicted of seriou
, crimes are confined at hard laboi
, 1t is also used for the confinemer
of persons awaiting trial, as well a
/ misdemeanants serving sentences fo
petty offenses.
6 Exclusive of the political prison
! ers, there were but twelve person
! in confinement, all of them unde
r going sentences for petty infractioI
of law. One of the men who a.
: companied us upon the visit was q
lofficial of the City Of Dublin. we