Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-12-29
Provocation So Great
Men, Women Regard
Murder Only as Trifle.
Peoples S Honor Gravely
Compromised, Declare
London Investigators.

CdutCu SdI uIHGf " SUHH6if dk pUSlUH
appealing to the cardinal for aid for
workers who have been discharged
from their positions. The message
said tens of thousands of persons
had been deprived of their employ
ment.
"FuIly $4,000 Catholics in my d.
ocese are now on the verge of star
vatioH," the message said. "My dio-
cese no longer Is In ireland, not
even in Ulster, but in a nameIess
satrapate made up of the six coun-
ties"
London. Dec. 2S.-(By the Associated
Press. l-Scathing denunciation of gov
ernment methods in Ireland and strong
expression on the futility of coercive
methods to suppress either the Sim
Fein movement or the republican army
occupy for the most part the report of
the labor commission which recently VS.
tied Ireland to study conditions there.
The report deals with all aspects of
the present situation and the sentiment
in Ireland, as well as specific study of
reprisals. 1t shows incidentally that an
appeal to Premier Lloyd George, signed
by Arthur Henderson and William Adam
son, as late as December % had failed
to bring a response to the commissions
desire to institute an unofficial truce"
so that steps toward peace might be
taken.
Army Formidable.
Declaring the Irish republican army to
be formidable. because intangible, the re-
port says that if it were concentrated as
an army it coud easily be defeated, and
it exists only because it has the sympa-
thy and support of the vast mass of the
population.
so great has been the provocation by
the crown forces that eight per cent
of Irish men and women" continues the
report, now regard the shooting of
policemen and the throwing of bombs
at lorries with the same philosophic
resignation that Mr.. Lloyd George dis
plays toward arson and nillage and the
shooting of civilians in the presence of
their wives and children. The restruc-
ton of ceremonies, etc, only serves to
stimulate recruiting by increasing the
numbers of desperate men"
GraveIy Compromised
The commission declared "a thing is
being done IN the name of Great Britain
which must make her name stink in the
ncstrils of the whole world.
THE honor of our people has been
grayely compromised"
The commission charges, the crown
forces, among other things, with burn
ing, destruction looting and flogging.
Regarding -he governments respon-
sibility for reprisals. the commission
states:
Crown Exonerated
''We do not believe the government
directly and definitely inspired reprisals
and violence, but while it has perfume
torily denied certain occurrences which
are beyond doubt, it has associated itself
with and defended crimes committed bv
the crown forces in Ireland Blame for
the present situation does not rest pri-
marily with members of the crown
forces. but with the government"
Among the points of the commissions
report are the following:
Even if only 1.-THE of the fires
which admittedly have occurred in Ire
land were caused by government agents,
the case against the forces of the crown
and the government would, in our judg-
ment. be amply proved.
Rough and brutal treatment Of
women is by no means the worst that
has to be said against men in the ser
vice of the British crown"