The Washington times., 1921-02-17
F[AYS RULE OF
SWORD IN ERIN
Mary r. McWhorter, Recently
Returned From Troubled Ire
land, Describes Conditions.
By MARY +. MeWH0RTER
: usstoaaI President, Ladies' Auxiliary.

By MARY +. MeWHORTER
= National President, Ladies' Auxiliary
Ancient Order Of Hibernian.-
This Is the first Of series Of ar
tscles t0ritten by Mrs. McWhoTter
upon t,lformdtion gathered IN an ez-
tended Investigation IN Ireland. MSS
Today 0ds completed IN yesterdays
Today 'toas completed IN yesterdays
Washington Times, has reviewed
Mrs. McWhorter's articles and de-
ciared that they present true PIC
talre of life IN ireland today.
To have any idea Of British mill
tary rule in Ireland today one has
10 go there and observe it at close
range. / have RECENTLY returned
from a three months sojourn in that
distracted land and what have seen
there in the way of autocratic rule
has kept me from sleep many
night.
It must be understood that there
are two forces in Ireland, the repub-
lican government called into being
by the will of the people, functioning
in every department, its laws being
unhesitatingly obeyed by over 30
per cent of the people, and the Brit
ish force, which is a rule OF the
naked sword.
RULE or NAKED SWORD.
Two years ago, after the signing
Of the armistice. British soldiers re-
leased from service on the continent
were sent into Ireland to augment
the large British army already there
Tanks, lorries, and machine guns In
great abundance were dumped into
Ireland until every town and village
became cluttered with war material
Shortly after the formation of the
popular government in Ireland, the
members of the Royal Irih Constab-
members of the Royal Irish Constab-
to resign as servants OF the British
crown and Join their fellow-Irishmen
In their efforts to win international
recognition for the government that
had the sanction Of the Irish people.
The best element in that body did re-
Sign, but some preferred to remain
servants to the autocracy that seemed
bent on stamping out not only the
national aspirations of the Irish
people. but the race itself. Hence.
the men who remained are both trail
tors and spies. men who in every
country are SnOt on SlSnt-
FLAYs BLACK AND TANS.
1t 1t enormously thought by many
Americans that the Royal Irish Con-
stabulary is a body OF law preserv-
ers similar to our American police
force; quite the contrary. The men
who join the r. 1. c. are trained for
two years in military tactics at the
training camp. The great majority
Of these men have always been In
tmical to Irish nat ional aspirations,
and in consequence, have never had
the trust or confidence of the Irish
people.
At the general elections two years
ago. following out the principles OF
self-determination, the people voted
for a republican form of government
to be administered by men of their
own blood. This was in accordance
with the principles for which England
was supposed to have entered the
war. Shortly afterward the elected
representatives Of the Irish people
met in Dublin and formed their cabi-
net Ministers were appointed in
charge of each department. 1t has
been stated by many fair-minded and
discriminating Englishmen that the
Dali Eireann (the Irish congress) are
among the brightest and most cul-
tered men of the present day.
BARRACKS WE'RE BURNED.
Early in the year 1920 the British
government withdrew the remain
ing members of the r. L c. from the
villages into the towns, where they
are safely entrenched behind the
military, back of barbed-wire en-
tanglements and sand-bag fortifca-
lions. This move left about five
hundred barracks vacant
Immediately the Irish republican
army set fire to these barracks so
that they could not be used again
by the British crown forces. Int
mediately, also, the republican gov
eminent took over the policing of
the abandoned territory and with the