Imperial Valley press., 1921-03-31
B R ! 7 A | \ 8
ACCUSED
Of N A \ !
c ri MES
Walsh Committee Report on
Conditions in Ireland Bit
terly Arraigns Crown
Forces and Government
Officials.
(Ry Associated Press)


WASHINGTON, March 31-Moral
responsibility for the present disorders
in Ireland is placed upon the British
government by the commission of the
Committee Of One Hundred investi-
eating the Irish question in 10000.
word report made public today and
covering the examination of witnesses
at public hearings held by the COM
mission in Washington last November
December and January.
Declaring that the commission was
"under the disadvantage of lacking the
official British side of the case" eX-
cept as it was gathered from docu-
ments presented to it, the report de-
clares that "the imperial British army
in Ireland has been guilty of proved
excesses, not Incompatible in degree
and kind with those alleged, by the
Bryce report on Belgium Atrocities, to
have been committed by the imperial
German army" The Bryce commits
sion, it is pointed out, was similarly
handicapped.
Thirty eight witnesses Of alleged
atrocities including 18 Irish, 18 Amer
lean and two English citizens, testi-
fed before the commission. The COM
mission admits that it's report is ex
parte in spite Of it's efforts to hear all
sides. The testimony available, the
report says, gives the case therefore,
almost wholly from the Irish repub-
lican or Sim Fein viewpoint or "from
sources not unsympathetic to the ap-
plication Of the principle of self-deter-
mination of Ireland" The Ulster
Unonst viewpoint, and that of the
British authorities in Ireland, the re-
port says, were not represented among
the witnesses.
Summing up it's conclusions after
hearing all the testimony, the commits
sion finds "that the Irish people are
deprived of the protection of British
law, to which they would be entitled
as subjects Of the British King. They
are likewise deprived of the moral pro-
lection granted by international law,
to which they would be entitled as bel
ligerants. They are at the mercy OF
imperial British forces which, acting
contrary both to all law and to stand
ards of human conduct, have institut-
ed in Ireland "a terror" the evidence
regarding which seems to prove that:
a. The Imperial British govern
ment has created and introduced into
Ireland force of at least $4,000 men,
many of them youthful and inexper-
fenced, and some of them convicts;
and has melted that force to unbridled
violence.
"2. The imperial British forces in
Ireland have indiscriminately killed
innocent men, women and children;
and shot prisoners while in custody,
adopting the subterfuges of refusal to
halt and attempting to escape; and
have attributed to alleged Sim Fein
Extremists the British assassination
Of prominent Irish republicans.
:" House burning and wanton des-
truction of villages and cities by i'm
perial British forces under imperial
British officers have been counten-
anced, and ordered by officials of the
British government; and elaborate
provision by gasoline sprays and
bombs has been made in number of
instances for systematic incendiarism
as part Of plan of terrorism.
"a. A campaign for the destruction
of the means of existence OF the Irish
people has been conducted by the
) burning of factories, creameries
crops and farm implements and the
shooting of farm animals. This cam
paign is carried on regardless OF the
political views Of their owners, and
results in widespread and acute suf.
fering among women and children"