Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-04-01
BRITISH ANSWER
Continued from Page One)

paueNIly DOrne during many months,
have on some occasions broken the
bonds of discipline and committed I'M
justifiable acts of violence is not de-
MED" the embassy statement con-
tinued. But to say that such acts
have been ordered, encouraged or
condoned by the British government
is absolutely false. The interests
which sucer most by acts ofindiscre-
ton are those of the government it
self"
The statement issued by the embas-
sy follows:
1.-The report of the commission on
conditions in Ireland is entitled to
exactly the amount of weight which
should be given to any judgment
based entirely upon the evidence Of
ex-parte statements put forward for
the most part by persons admittedly
holding extreme views. 1t is biased
and wholly misleading both in its
general conclusions and in the state
ments it contains in matters of de-
tail IT.
1.-The facts speak for themselves.
ireland SO far from being a devas-
ted country is the most prosperous
part Of the United Kingdom and prob
ably of the whole of western Europe.
Separate trade statistics for the va
rious parts of the United Kingdom,
forming as they do one fiscal unit,
are not readily availble, but relia-
BILE index to the general prosperity of
the country can be found in the re-
turns of deposits in joint stock banks
which have increased as follows: 1914
-147.O00,000 pounds sterling; 1873
166.000000 pounds sterling; 192.-2O0,-
000,0 pounds sterling.
This prosperity continues and i.
only affected in a very minor degree
and that mainly in the north-by the
general industrial depression.
THE report of the committee LAYS
stress on so-called reprisals and lg-
nores the fact that before the Irish
propagandists suggested in Septem-
Der 1920 that reprisals We're taking
place, ninety-two policemen, twelve
soldiers and twenty three civilians
had been murdered in cold blood, and
IS soldiers and "A civilians We're
wounded, in most cases without a
chance of defending themselves BY
the same date, 1900 buildings had
been burned and wholly or partly de-
stroyed.
"Sinn Fein has established it's po-
sition by the terror of the revolver,
which has silenced the moderate
opinion of the vast majority of Irish
men. 1t desired to claim for the Irish
republican army the status of bellig-
Grants, ignoring the fact that the
members of that force constantly, in
deed invariably, violate the laws of
war as recognized by every civilized
community, in manner which, &C
cording to the same laws adjust
the penalty of death for all offenders.
Their methods are those of the assas-
sin, their deadly work is done by
stealth, by persons in the garb of civ
ilians who move about under the pro-
lection of the law until the moment
comes for the attack and who. i'm
mediately after killing their victim,
revert to the aspect and demeanor
of peaceful citizens. Expanding bull
lets are frequently employed by these
Crown forces has succeeded in fore
ing them more and more to abandon
the method of individual assassina-
ton in favor of organized attacks by
armed bands, but the furtive char
acter of their activities Still ocntin-
ues.
THAT the Crown forces, under all
most. incredible provocation patient
1y borne during many months. have
on some occasions broken the bonds
of discipline and committed unjusti-
fable acts of violence is not denied,
but to say that such acts have been
ordered. encouraged or condoned by
the British government is absolutely
false. The interests which suffer
most by acts Of indiscipline are those
of the government itself.
1.-THE actual facts with regard to
specific points raised in the report
of the committee are as follows:
1.-THE total ration strength of the