The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-03-31
Report Says British Con-
duct Compares With
That of Germans in
Belgium - Full r e
sponsibility for Dis
tress of Irish Placed on
British Shoulders.

Washington, March 31--Moral re-
sronsibi ty for the present disorders
III Ireland is placed upon the British
government by the American Com
mission on Conditions in Ireland in &
20.000 word report made public today
ard covering the examination of wit
nesses at public hearings held by the
comm ssiou in Washington last No
vemLer. December and January.
u claring that the Commission was
under the disadvantage of lacking
tAp official British side of the case"
except as it was gathered from docu-
ments presented to it. the report de-
clarea that the imperial British
amy in ireland has been guilty OF
proved eXCesses, not Incompatible
in degree and kind with those alleged.
h; the Bryce report on Belgian Afro
cities, to have been committed by the
imperial German army" The Bryce
Commission, it is pointed out, was
similarly handicapped.
B. Witnesses Examined
Thirty-cight witnesses of alleged
a:rcritieH including Is Irish, Is
american and two English citizens.
testified before the commission. The
G, mmission admits that its report is
cN partt in spite Of its efforts to hear
all sides The testimony available,
he report says, gives the case there
'ore. amcst wholly from the Irish re-
publican or Sim Fem Viewpoint or
"frcm sourc not unsympathetic to
he application of the principle of self
l..
Ster Unionist viewpoint and that of
tho British authorities in Ireland, the
report says. were not repress nted
among the witnesses.
Summing up its conclusions after
hearing all the testimony. the COM
mission finds that the Irish people
are deprived Of the protection of Brit
ish law. TO which they would he en-
titled as subjects of the British King.
They are likewise deprived of the
moral protection granted by interna
lional law. to which they would be
entitled as Eelligerents. They are at
the mercy of imperial British forces
which, acting contrary both TO all law
and to standards of human conduct.
nave instituted in ireland a terror
the evidence rsgarding which seems
to prove that:
The Reign OF Horror
Il The Imperial British Govern
ment has created and introduced into
Ireland force of at least $4,000 men.
many of them youthful and inexperi-
need. and some of them convicts;
and has melted that force to un-
bridled violence.
- The Imperial British forces in
Ireland have indiscriminately killed
innocent men, women and children;
have tortured and shot prisoners
while in custody, adopting the sub
terfuges OF refusal to halt and at
tempting to escape and have attri-
buted to alleged Sim Fein Extrem-
lists the British assination of promi-
rent Irish Republicans,
8 House-burning and wanton de-
struction Of villages and cities by I'M
y rial British forces under Imperial
British officers have been counte-
nanced. and ordered by officials OF
the British government; and elabor-
ate provision by gasoline sprays and
bombs has been made in number of
instances for systematic incendiar-
ism as part of a plan Of terrorism.
II A campaign for the destruction
of the means of existence of the Irish
2eople has been conducted by the
burning of factories creameria s.
z reps and farm implements and the
/ shooting of farm animals. This cam
) Daign is carried on regardless of the
5 20 itical views of their owners, and
results in widespread and acute suf-
: eering among wom n and children.
"5. Acting under a series of pro-
carnations issued by the competent
, military authorities of the Imperial
British forces, hostages are carried
, by forces exposed to the fire of the
Republican army; fines are levied
;. upon towns and villages as punish
ment for alleged offenses of individ-
V uals; private property is destroyed in
reprisals for acts with which the
owners have no connection; and the
civilian population is subjected to an
inquisition upon the theory that indi-
yiduals are in possession of informa-
,ion valuable to the military forces OF
Great Britain. These acts of the I'M
: perial British forces are contrary to
. the laws Of peace or war among mod
=. ern civilized nations.
+ '6 The terrcr' has failed to re-es.
:. tablish Imperial British civil govern.
/. ment in Ireland. Throughout ths
A. greater part of Ireland British courts
have ceased to function; local, county
and city governments refuse to recog
II nize, British authority; and Britisf
r civil officials fulfill no function q
8 service to the Irish people.
n ~. In spite of the British terror
> the majority OF the Irish people hayI
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