The Washington times., 1921-01-22
IRISH CHARGE
REL|C|OUSWAR
Witness at Hearing Testifies
English Persecution Of Catho-
lies Aimed to Split Movement.

"A systematic and DarDdr0us perse-
cution of Catholic priests and nuns
in Ireland is being conducted by the
British. two Protestant Irish women
of strong unionist families told the
American commission on conditions
in Ireland at its session Yesterday
afternoon in the Hotel LAFAYETTE.
CONVERTS ARE SEARCHED.
This prosecution. which in it's most
violent form includes torture and
murder OF priests by black and tans
and raids on converts under the guise
OF search for arms or Sim Feiners,
Is encouraged by the British govern
ment In the hope to fan nre OF re-
ligious bigotry that will prevent the
Irish people uniting. they declared.
II is having exactly the opposite ef-
feet, however they asserted, having
drawn expressions of horrined re-
monstrance from the Protestant
clergy of Dublin and Belfast.
The witnesses were Miss Louie Ben
nett, OF Dublin, secretary of the Irish
Women Workers Union and also sec
retary of the Irish Branch OF the
Women's International League, and
Miss Caroline NJ. Townshend, OF Ban
don. County Cork. an official OF the
Gaelic League. non-partisan non
political organization devoted to
fostering Gaelic literature and art.
At the conclusion OF their testimony
the hearings adjourned to await the
arrival of other witnesses expected In
about two weeks.
Both women declared the British
government Is deliberately destroy
ing Irish industry, and they present.
ed many letters and documents 10
prove their contention that the ERE
Iigious question: In Ireland simply
did not exist. though they declared
That the British statesmen had always
fostered religious bigotry 10 divide
Ireland.
Miss Bennett declared her conver-
sion to the republican cause In Ireland
resulted from her observations of the
workings there OF the British policy
which she declared was one OF "un-
pardonable stupidity and brutality"
DESCRIBES RAIDS.
Miss Bennett told of one raid In
which Black and Tans threatened to
burn up an aged woman with petrol
unless she divulged the whereabouts
of her grandson, for whom they were
searching. "Women are constantly
threatened and terrified by the crown
forces" she declared. "and in the
British murder campaign several
women have been shot"
Miss Bennett described the univer-
sal horror inspired by raids by black
and tans and police on Dublin con-
vents. Doors were broken down, the
rooms Of nuns entered, and all occu-
pants of the building dragged from
their beds while the place was searched
on the, pretext TINT men and arms
were concealed on the premises, she
testified. She continued:
"As a Protestant I wish to bring
before the commission the persecu-
ton of the Catholic Church in Ireland
by the British forces.
"One Of the strictest orders, the
Carmelites, was raided in this way.
Another convent was a place where
many Belgian orphans had been quar-
tered and much war work done. OF
course, arms or fugitive men never
were found.
"One Of the latest and most terrible
phases of the campaign of terror in
Ireland was the brutal attacks on
Irish priests by black and tans and
military. They have gone 30 far that
such attacks have been denounced
with horror by the Protestant clergy
of Dublin and Belfast.
There are at least six Catholic
priests in custody now. and several
have been subjected to the cruelest
tortures. One, Father Dominick,
chaplain to Lord Mayor MacSwiney,
after being threatened with revolvers
and with hanging. has been sentenced
to two years at hard labor on the
charges of having in his possession
discriminating documents These
documents were an invitation to at
tend a republican arbitration tribunal
and certificate of subscription to
the Irish republican loan.
OTHER PRIESTS SLAIN.
"Father p. II. Delahanty was taken
in a raid on a Dublin monastery, sub
jected to torture and then sentenced
by court-martial to two years i'm
prisonment. Two priests have been
killed. One. Father Griffin, of Gal
way, was found buried in a bog a
short time before he intended to come
666 will break a Cold, Fever and