The Washington herald., 1921-01-19
GIVES INFORMATION REQUEST
ED By REV. MB. T0LMAN.

ED Br REV. MR. TOLMAN.
To the Editor. The wsshinFtoS BeraId:
In the Open Court Of The Wash
inEton Herald January II, sppears
a letter from L. W. ToIman. asking
for information regarding the
american Commission on ireland"
For the information Of Mr.. Tol-
man and the readers Of The Herald
the American Commission on Con
ditions in ireland is composed OF
eight members: l. HoIlingsworth
Wood. chairman: Senator George W.
/ Norris, Senator David ]. Walsht
Miss Jane Addzms. James II. Msu-
rer. Frederic c. Howe. the Rev.
Norman Thomas and Maj. Oliver p.
| Newman.
This commission was created a.
a subcommittee Of the Committee
Of 100" which was formed upon the
| initiative Of the nation from among
those American citizens who were
interested in ascertaining the facts
regarding conditions in ireland and
OF securing a settlement Of this
question upon a basis q truth and
| justice. The Committee Of 100 con-
sisted Of distinguished American
| citizens, thoroughly representative
OF the best thought and broadcs,
sympsthies OF the American people
In order that there might be no
charge Of undue bias in favor OF
Ireland, more than three-quarters
OF the members Of the Committee
Of 100 were selected from persons
] A. a.
organizations. and even a larger
proportion are PrOtestants
The American Commission on
Conditions In Ireland vas instituted
as a tribunal where any person with
hrst-hand knowledge OF conditions
| in ireland could be free TO present
his evidence. The British Ambas-
ssdor and the various AnCI0-Amer-
| lean organizations were formally
notified that any evidence from TN
/ English point OF view which they
/ wished to present would be vel
coined. The Irish avaiIed hem
selves Of the opportunity afforded
by such a tribunal and have pre-
sented 20 the commission a state
ment Of eye witnesses Of atrocities
perpetrated by the British military
| forces in Ireland exceeding tu
! frIghtfulness the brutsliIies Of the
| German troops in Belgium The
| commission itself secured the at
I tendance Of two English ladies
/ Mrs. Robinson and Miss Wilkinson
who had personally investiEst d
conditions in Ireland. and their tes-
I timOny served only 10 CorrOborats
| the statements % The Irish wit
/ nesses. The commission also mott
/ ned the British Ambassador and
] the AnElO-AmeriCsn societies that
| they might be represented by CoUn-.
! sci to Cross-eNamine any witnesse
/ who might appear. Up 10 date n
one has appeared TO challenge IN
| testimony Of a single witness. no
Z has their testimony been QuesIiCneU
[ publicly by any person familiar
with present-day conditions In Ire
] land with the single exception uf
I the Csbled statement by Sir Hamar
| Greenwood. intended TO reflect upon
| the status OF the four former mem
bers Of the Royal Irish Constabulart d,
whose testimony was damaging 70
| the British cause. Sir Hamar Green
wood was Immediately refutsd by
the production Of registration cards 4,
/ in the R !. c. for all four Of the
witnesses. as well as discharge pa
| Pers bearing a record Of excellent
] service"
The necessity for ascertaiuinE the
truth regarding conditions in Ire
! land directly from eye witnesses
! rather than through the ordinary
newspaper and cable channels is
| evidenced by the proof which has
! hlled our papers recently Of British
| control of interoCesnIc cables and
the formal protest OF more than
ninety newspaper men TO Lloyd
| George that their legitimate acuvl-
| ties in Ireland had been Suppressed
| by British military forces and that
their lives had been threatened for
reporting the truth.
Mr.. TolmRn asks why Oh. r0wU7' g.
I sion did not themsC'Nrs 60 90 lr'-
land. The reason Is simple. ThF
British government refused 90 wise
the passports issued boy tho govern
ment OF the United States TO sub
committee which had been selected
for the specific purpose Of iuvesti-
eating conditions at FIRST hand in
Ireland Similarly. the British GOV.
ernment did not gran, a passDoJ
to Lord Mayor O'CallaEhBn, al
though the British Ambassador had
oficisIly informed the secretary OIL
the commission that no obstacles
would be placed in the way Of Irish
men who might be invited TO ap-
pear as witnesses. Failing 20 Sc
cure such a passport, Lord Mayor
O'CsllaEhsn came TO the tinted
States in the same way that dis
tinguished Americans were forced
To Sdopt during the American Rev
olUtion, when they desired 10 pro
ceed to France and to Ireland 10
present their claims for the rec
ognition OF the American republic
and ask aid from the French and
Irish peoples. There was no BIT
ish passport for Benjamin Frankhn
in 1875 and none for DOnsl OCsl-
lsEhan or EEmou DeNslerE In wv
BASIL NJ MANLY.
CTvEC TN ETDUTp