The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-12-09
ER|N'SFREED0n
|SPRED|CTE||l|||| Il
MISS MACSWINEY
GIVES TESTIMONY
Declares British Government.
Deliberately Stirred Re
ligious Hatred

Washington, Dec 8.-Charges thaet
tho British government has kept AltFe
in Ireland and has sought through q;
reign of terror" to starve thAS country
into submission brought to 06nclu1t1ns
eight hours of testimony to-day BY ME-
Mary McSwiney, sister OF the late lord
mayor Of Cork. before the commieston
from the committee Of one hundrod tn
vcstigating the Irish question.
Miss MacSwiney told the commig9tens
that she and Mrs. Muriel MacSWtnAy,
the lord mayors widow, had CONS iron
tanning the true facts"IT She made tbs
prediction that Ireland would gain tte
freedom even though. England had To-
be beaten to the ground. Her sister
!n-law will be heard tomorrow.
Ideals Not LIVED Up 70.
Miss MacSwiney punctuated her story
Of the movement for Irish freedom with
the assertion that the United States had
not lived up to its Ideal Of making the
world safe for democracy"
I'VE are not disturbers," the witneta
said. I'VE want just to be let aione.
We are not using coercion and We VIII
not be coerced. We simply want Eng
everything II she will only leave pss
alone. 80. =
we are going to get our freedoms
she continued. That, every Irish Re.
continual slavery q people sveryone of
whom Is ready to die for his country.
Instances 1ssou1tsd.
Miss MacSweeney necounted Instances
which she said proved that the BrtttHh
government was deliberately firing re-
ligious hatreds and added that there
would be no religious differences II the
without outside interference. The Irtnh
have not prosecuted anybody, she d.
serted, adding that the peace and pro
perity Of the large Jewish quarters -
Cork and Dublin attested TO that fe0e
The witness said that where there arr
no Black and Tan police, there retIhe
peace and prosperity and sattsfleds
population" -
The British government, Mrs. Mac
Swiney continued, has instituted
destroy property and 10 throw peopIes
out OF work. 1t wants TO starve us tnSo
submission. The Irish people don't Want
war. II England will get. out, we VIII
establish prosperity In our own rep1Ss. s
promise to let none use them As W1e
base" e.. -
Senator Walsh, Of MassachuSettA -
member Of the commission, propounes
ing a series Of questions. ledt the VIII.
ness to declare that a defacto govern
ment had been created in Ireland and
that under it the citizens Of the proytsy;
ional republic seek to govern them-z
selves. Also under his auesttontng. ~
MacSwiney said that the British court1s
sat behind barbed wire barricades al
sand bags surrounded by regiment efs
soldiers, waiting for cases which never
come" while the Irish republicans, Ano
said. turn their controversies oye- %
their own courts, sitting in secret a6d
abide by their decisions with 'furthst'
litigation. -
Senator Walsh asked the witness 20;
place in the record all facts concerninB
the formation of the provisional repun.
lie, it's declaration Of independence ana
it's methods Of dealing with the people
Another question from the Massachu.
setts senator brought back the declat1-
tlon that the history Of he governments
creation found an exact parallel IN.
declaration of independence by the thtf-,
teen American colonies. To this snel
added that, as was the case with amer
ica's early struggles France Was looked
upon as the best friend OF the irish
freedom movement.