Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-03-31

pointed out, physical force seemed
bound to continue both to deny the
possibility Of peace in Ireland and to
diminish the possibility Of non-inter-
/: vention Of our government in the
struggle"
1T seemed to u.s." says the COM
mission, that we could best serve the
cause Of peace by placing before the
English. Irish n American public
the facts of the situation, free from
both agonized exaggeration and
moral understatement; for a knowl-
edge Of the facts might reveal their
cause. and recognition of that cause
might permit its cure, by those whose
purpose was not to slay but to- heal"
to h present crisis. the report de-
clares: 1.-The central fact in the
Irish situation is the presence Of the
British in Ireland. The British can
point to 700 years of possession of
ireland. and to 700 years spent in try
ing to pacify Ireland. and the British
naturally desire to continue to possess
Ireland, for they are proud of their
empire. jealous of its integrity and
anxious about its security"
Won Several Points.
The report points out thai the Irish
as a result Of their resort to arms in
1888. 1898, 1903, 1S48 inc 1867, have
won from the British parliament the
abolition of penal laws against Roman
Catholics, disestablisbment Of the
Irish church, liberal land laws and,
finally, the Irish home rule act which
was passed by the house of lords and
commons and signed by the king in
1914. "At the behest of the British
Tories, under Sir Edward Carson
the report says, that act was sus-
nended for the duration Of h war
and was later rendered void by a
superseding act which p%artitioned
Ireland"
The commission in referring to the
Ulster rebellion of 1914 which. it
says was started by the Tories to
fight home rule, charged that Carson
and other leaders who had imported
arms from Germany and had set UP
a provisional government in Belfast
were forgiven and promoted to high
Offices in the British government.
Declared Independence.
"After this" the report says. Gin
1916. Irish poets, teachers and lead
ers, with less than 1000, followers
rose in rebellion and declared Ire
Hands Independence. sConfrontedswith
the Irish declaration Of independence,
the imperial British government
| pout duuALiOIIdA AApOpS ~ SI0AA
The rebellion was crushed in April,
1916. The imperial British govern
ment then continued to pour troops
into ireland. The Irish to an increas-
ing degree were deprived Of civil and
social liberty. Such British rule
lasted until December IA, 1918, when.
at the conclusion of q val avowedly
fought for the rights of small ma
! tions. the Irish people in the general
election held. under British auspices.
gave the endorsement Of their suf-
frage to the Irish republic which was
the election issue in Ireland. In full
fllment Of their pledge the elected
representatives Of the Irish republic
met in congress (the Dali Eirann) at
Dublin, organized as a government,
nominated officers and proceeded to
function (January 81. 1919. and an
army known as the Irish republican
army was created. equipped with dis
tinctive uniforms and dri!. cd openly"
How Great Britain met the insur-
rection and the Irish resisted it are
emphasized in the finds as indicative
Of which side is to blame.
Two Kinds Of Killing.
Two kinds Of killings have char
acterized the Irish republican war
fare, according to the report. First,
the casualties resulted from the Sim
Feiners' attempts to obtain arms and
ammunition in attacking motor lorries
and police barracks and, second, the
secret execution" of spies, traitors