What fatally invalidates the Report, in spite of the care
to assume a judicial tone, and in spite of a tribute here and there to the police and an admission that Irish Republicans have committed murders, is an entire want of perspective. We do not want for a moment to appear to defend unofficial reprisals, for we condemn them as much as other people do who are concerned for the efficiency and good repute of the forces of the Crown. But we are as certain as we can be of anything that the responsible officers in Ireland agree with us, and that every attempt is being made to cure offences against discipline. A person who knew nothing about Ireland and tried to acquire information from this Report would be utterly misled. That is the central and most painful fact. Such a person would not learn that a regular campaign of cold-blooded murder was organized in Ireland against the representatives of the Crown, and that it was not until the assassinations had passed all bounds that soldiers and policemen began to hit back in self-defence. Every document which fails to recognize the course of events in Ireland is worthless and, moreover, dishonest, though we do not impute actual dishonesty to the Labour representatives, but rather a genuine lack of judicial capacity.
Previous page
