The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-04-01
(By The Associated Press.)

responsibility for the present disord-
ers in Ireland is placed upon the Brit
ish government by the commission of
the committee of one hundred investi-
eating the Irish question in a 5000
word report made public today and
covering the examination of witnesses
at public hearings held by the COM
mission on conditions in Ireland"
which that it will continue the in
quiry.
Declaring that the commission was
under the disadvantage of lacking the
official British side of the case" except
as it was gathered from documents
presented to it, the report declares that
"the imperial British army in Ireland
has been guilty of proved excuses. not
Incompatible in degree and kind with
those alleged, by the Bryce report on
Belgium atrocities, 10 have ben com
mitted by the imperial German army
The Bryce commission, it is pointed
out. was similarly handicapped.
Thirty-eight witnesses of alleged
atrocities including Is Irish, IS Amer
lean and two English citizens. tcsti-
fled before the commission. The com
mission admits that its report is eE
parte in spite of its efforts to hear ali
sides The testimony available, the re-
port says, gives the case therefore, al
most wholly from the Irish repubn-
can or Sim Fem viewpoint or from
sources not unsympathetic to the ap-
plication of the principle of self-de-
termination to Ireland" The Ulster
unionist viewpoint and that of the
British authorities in Ireland, the re-
port says, were not represented among
the witnesses.
Deprived of British Protection.
Summing up it's conclusions after
hearing all the. testimony, the COM
mission finds chat the Irish people are
deprived of the protection of British
law, to which they would be entitled
as subjects OF the British king. They
are likewise deprived of the moral
protection granted by International
law, 10 which they would be entitled
as belligerents. They are at the mercy
of imperial British forces which, act
ing contrary both to all law and to
standards of human conduct, have in
stituted in Ireland "a terror, the evil
dence, regarding which seems to prove
that:
1.-The imperial British govern
ment has created and intro
duced into Ireland force of at
least $4,000 men, many of them
youthful and inexperienced, and
some OF them convicts: and
has melted that force to I'M
bridled violence.
2-The imperial British forces in
Ireland have Unfortunately
killed innocent men, women and
children; have tortured and
shot prisoners while in custody,
adopting the subterfuges of re
fusal to halt and attempting to
escape; and have attributed
alleged Sim Fein extremists
the British assassination of
prominent Irish republicans.
3-House- burning and wanton de-
structton of villages and cities
by imperial British forces I'M
der imperial British officers
have been countenanced, and
ordered by officials of the Brit
ish government; and elaborate
provision by galosine sprays
and bombs has been made in
number of instances for sys-
tematic incendiarism as part OF
a plan of terrorism.
A campaign for the destruction
Of the means of existence OF the
Irish people has been conducted
by the burning of factories,
creameries, crops and farm i'm
plements and the shooting of
farm animals. This campaign
is carried on regardless of the
political views of their owners,
and results in widespread and
acute suffering among women
and children.
5-Actlng under a series of procla-
nations issued by the compe-
tent military authorities of the
imperial British forces, hostages
are carried by forces exposed to
the fire of the republican army;
fines are levied upon towns and
villages as punishment for al
legged offenses of individuals;
private property is destroyed
in reprisals for acts with which
the owners have no connection;
and the civilian population is
subjected to an inquisition upon
the theory that individuals are |
in possession of information
valuable to the military forces
of Great Britain. These acts of
the imperial British forces are
contrary TO the laws of peace
or war among modern civilized
nations.
6-This terror" has failed to re-
establish imperial British civil
government in Ireland. Through
out the greater part of Ireland
British courts have ceased to
function: local, county and city
governments refuse TO recognize
British authority; and British
civil officials fulfill no function
Of service to the Irish people.
TN spite OF the British terror
the majority of the Irish people
have sanctioned by ballot the