The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-11-29
British Government
viii Honor Passports
Of Irish Commission
ny DAVID LAWRENCE
Copyright by The IntelliGencer)

Washington, Nov. 3S-The committee
OF FIVE Americans who plan to lnSestl-
gate conditions in Ireland Will nave no
difficulty about their passports. Inc
British government has determined 70
take no official cogniZince OF the matter
and the British embassy here is treating
the request for the visa or approval
OF passports IN much the same way as
IL would treat the request or any Amer
lean citizens. ,,,
Similarly the department OF state will
issue passports to the committee IN the
same routine way that passports are
given to any Americans VINO want ~
so to Great Britain on pleasure or ouS' ha
ness. There has been some talk IN ths
last few days that the department. Oh
state might decline to issue passports
on the ground that the visit OF the com
mission might be regarded as an inter
ference in the politics OF another coun-
,ry but the commission on the otner
hand is an entirely private arair anu us
request for passports does not 1Uter
from that Of five newspaper men OF amp
other group of !ri,l:S idualS who want To
write about conditions in another coun-
Try. The department Of state Will not
be responsible t"r the reports or utter
ances Of the commission any more lhah
= is for the writings OF American cor
respondents, resident in Ireland. or any
where else IN Europe.
Could Refuse Approval
or course II was entirely wlthin tne
right OF the BElIlSnu &ONcI
fuse approval to the passports OF the
commission. Frequently during the war
the United States government %ouiu
issue passports but the trench or brtT-
ish governments would refuse 10 ap-
prove them and the would-oe passengers
were turned back At the steamers ny
the Officers OF the ship because none
Of the steamship companies Houlu aC-
sept passengers who did not nave ther
pnssports approved in advance BY the
consular or diplomatic representatives
in the United States OF the country OF
destination. .,S. ,o,.,
The British government might have
refused to approve the passports OF the
investigating commission without nee
essarilv giving any reasons but Such 4
step II was felt would only aggraVate
Irish-Americans In this country and add
fuel to the flames i Gn 6avs tnS no 0TsS paTttcSlar
prejudice to the Irish question. refusal
OF passports might have created the I'M
press!on OF an unwillingness to let the
outside world know the truth about
government determined TO make no IN
ctdent out OF the request for PASSPORTS
and to let the committee 20 ITS way
The attitude Of the British officials
hero is probably an index OF the posi-
don that will be adopted when the Am
erlcan commission reaches lrelano.
Every opportunity will be given the
comnission to make it's own investtga-
ton unhlndered by the British govern
ment.
lnsistent that they approSGn tne Snes- @
man who was IN the artillery In the
4. E. F. was president Of the board or
commissioners OF the District OF Colnm-
bia under President WILSON snsr SnS %Ttee
and INVESTIGATOR. His ancestry Is Eng
IIsh on both sides. Rev. Norman Thom-
as OF New York Is q Presbyterian cler-
gyman. During the war he was prom
inentIy Identifed with the efforts Of
group which champtoned tho cause OF
the conscientious objector. he IS
graduate OF Princeton university ano
while one brother was detained IN cnnp
rs a conscientious objector another VINO
mad volunteered on the outbreak OF the
war, saw service as comoatant ofhcer
In France.
syIyania state Federation Of Labor. IS
l radical labor leader and CONSPICUOUS
oppopent OF Samuel Gompers. HIS pass
port was revoked year ago when ne
contemplated visiting England and Eu.
-opean countries to make study or
labor conditions and II was generally
believed the action was a consequence
81 some OF his lnfammatory utterances
against President Wilson and the Am
New York writer who has recently
spent much time in England studying
the labor party. and Dean Robert Morse
Ioyett, head OF the English department
OF the University Of Chicago. are the
other members OF te commission.
Dan Loyett was one OF the vactfist
group and was frequently criticized dur
ing the war for his attitude toward 1t.
On the other hand. he took no part in
any effort to obstruct war operations
and his own son volunteered and was
kIlIsd In action In France. The special
COMMITTEES FIVE was chosen with the idea
that n would not be subject to criticism
for religious prejudices as none Of the
commission is Catholic. The commit
tss of i've is subcommittee Of r
larger committee OF one hundred for
the investigation OF conditions In Ire
land. Oswald Garrison Willard. editor
of the Nation" Is the originator OF
the movement.