The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-01-19
FROM THE PUBLIC
TO THE
EDITOR.
The Black and Tans.

TO THE EDITOR OF TIE TIMES:
\ considerable amount of misunderstanding
seems to exist as to constitution of the notori-
Gus force which has been appropriately named
The Black and Tans," whose brutalitcs in Ire
land at the present time known to and con-
nivcd at. il not actually encouraged, by David
Lloyd George. Sir Hamar Greenwood, and Sir
Ncvil Nacrcady, prime minister Of England.
chief secretary for Ireland and commander of
the army of occupation in Ireland respectively.
To endeavor to dspel al least some Of the err
roneous impressions concerning the Black ana
Tans is the purpose of this letter.
The writer in London during and for
many years subsequent to, the 5, nth African
war. and was in close contact with a consid
cradle number of young Englishmcn who served
in that volunteers in such units as the
Imperial veOmanry and the London city i'm
pc5iaI volunteers, and who We're attracted 10 the
service bv stories Of adventure and loot
Shameless tales of Cowardicc in the face OF
the enemy the part of these young cru
sadcrs- which led to SO many "unfortunat" III
Cidcnts." among the imperial forces during that
campaign were told unblushihgly by the men
themselves, who stated that they did not
to South Africa to be shot by tho Beers. On"
OF such "unfortunatc incidents was the capture
of General Lord Methucn and his forces of i'm
peral yeomanry by much inferior force of
Beers under General Dc La Rcy when the Eng
lshmcn jumped. Off their horses, lay flat
tho ground To escape the Bocr's bullets and
threw up their hands. This Incident was re-
lated TO by several OF the mon who pa
tiCipatcd in il.
But tho stories Of cowsrdicc. sckcning as
they. were paled into insignifiCanCc beside the
horror and loathinE from which tho soul 70
coilcd when on" listened to thcs" men tell :
tho atrocities in which they personally 0arti"i.
patcd when dealing with d"f"uscl'sa Eocr
women and children. The aftermath OF t."
world war. similar in its effects in this cor
ncction to that Of the BoCr war has 1'f. many
thousands oC such men IN England vhp nav"
u" desire he absorbed into Ci iI1u pursuit:
men whose capacity for immoral ami vice (
the vilcst description is limited only by the Lack
OF opportunity and who have respect for the
laws Of either God or man. and :, is to such
brutes that the English government has dele
gated the duty OF mainta aiming law and ordcr"
in ireland. while permitting them unbridled
liberty to descCratc the ssnctty Of Irish homcs,
in which tho crime OF immortality is held IN the
utmost horror.
These mon compose the force known as the
Black aud TanS. and Americans should bear
these facts in mind and recall the history of
their own Revolution when the same unscrupu-
lOus power that is now employing tho Black and
Tans ida red to authorize and associate to their
arms tho tomahawl>s and the scalping knife OF
the savage: call into civilized alliance tho
wild and nhuman inhabitant of the woods;
delegate to the merciless Indian the defense Of
disputed rights. to wage tho horrors of his bar
barous war" against this republic.
MARTIN J. DUFFICY.