The Commission give instances to support their allegation that buildings
have been deliberately burnt by servants cf the Crown:—
" Ineendiarism is part of the policy of the Black and Tans and auxiliaries. It is, we believe, one of their methods of terrorism and revenge. Many of the fires which occurred both in town and country districts have been those of houses occupied by known Sinn Feiners. Sinn Fein halls have been destroyed by fire. Public buildings in places where there is a Sinn Fein majority, or at least an anti-British majority on the local authority, have met the same fate. To suggest that such buntings are the result of deliberate Sinn Fein activity seems to us unreasonable, and, indeed, stupid, more especially as in many of these cases people have been shot or ill-treated. We cannot conceive even the most extreme and violent Sinn Feiners operating a policy which would result in destroying property of value to their own supporters, and subjecting their friends to physical hurt."
Here is another specimen passage :- " We have information which goes to show that prisoners, alleged to have been fired upon and killed in an attempt to escape, have been shot in cold blood. The outstanding fact regarding lots of the Black and Tans and auxiliaries is that they are not under control. The Government has created a weapon which it cannot wield."
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