The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-03-31
Civilization Concerned

NNillLdtlOu UHNtIHtu
The commission also declared that
the situation in ireland was a pro-
per subject of concern for all peo-
pies claiming either humanity or civ
ilizatiOn,' says that lit appealed par
ticularly to Americans so closely
bound by ties of blood and culture to
the Irish and English people. In
less moral force could prevail to end
the terror in Ireland the commission
pointed ont, physical force seemed
bound to continue both to deny the
possibility CT peace in Ireland and to
diminish the possibility of non-inter-
ventiOn of our government in the
struggle"
1T seemed to us" says the commits
sion. that we could best Serve the
cause of peace by placing before the
English. Irish and American public
tie facts of the situation, free from
beth agonized eXaggeration and moral
understandment; for knowledge of
the facts might reveal their caus,
and recognition of that cause might
permit its cure, by those whose pur-
pose was no, to Stay but to heal.
AistOry OF OutrageS
In touching upon the events lead
ing to the present crisis the report"
declares: The central fact in Ill
presence of the British in Ireland
The British can point to 700 years Ct
possession of Ireland. and to 100
years spent in trying to pacify Ire
land, and the British naturally desire
to continue to possess Ireland, for
they are proud Of their empire. jell-
Gus of it's integrity and anxious about
its security"
The report points out hat the Irish.
as u result of their resort to arms i'll
1888, 1898, 1903, 1913 and 1867. have
won from the British Parliament the
abolition of penal laws against Ro-
man Catholics. dis establishment 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 Torres. under Sir Ed
ward Carson, the report says. that
act was suspended for the duration
of the war and Was later rendered
void by a superceding act which par
titoned Ireland.
The commission in referring to tn.
Ulster rebellion of 1914 which. i
says, was start by the Tories
fight Home Rule. charged that Carson
and other leaders who had imported
arms from Germany ard had set up Il
provisional government in Belfast
were forgiven and promoted to high
offices in the British governm nj.
Rebellion OF 1916
"After this" the report says, in
1916, Irish poets teachers and lead
ers, with less than 1000 followers
rose in rebellion and declared Ire
lands Independence. Confronted with
the Irish declaration of independence,
the Imperial British government
poured additional troops into Ireland
The rebellion was crushed in April.
1916. The Imperial British govern.
ment then continued to pour troops
into Ireland. The Irish to an in
creasing degree were deprived of
civil and social Liberty. Such British
rule lasted until December IA. 1918,
when, at the conclusion of a war
avowedly fought for the rights of
small nations, the Irish people in the
general election held under British
auspices, gave the endorsement of
their suffrage to the Irish republic
which was the election issue in Ire
land. In fulfillment of their pledge
the elected representatives of the
Irish republic met in congress (the