1 NATIONAL LIBERAL CLUB,
WHITEHALL PLACE, S.W. Thank you so much for the
Songs. I am having them type
written and put into a book. 28th July 1916 My Dear Mrs Skeffington, I am right up to my neck in it now —
2 Questions to be asked on Tuesday next
in the House and neither question can
be answered for I have the documentary
evidence. You realise of course that
this is all working for the object that
we all have in view. Namely a full
enquiry. They are even in a worse
Dilemma over me than even the infinitely
cruel one of yours. Although Gotto work in
together. In your poor husband's case
they can say — "well very unfortunate. a "
"madman at large — we did not of course"
"know of it. Very lamentable et cet".
All this flummary is dispelled when I
put in my oar, because I make it clear 2
that there was connivance in the murders
up to the 5th May — not by the Government but
by the Irish |Command, as clear as daylight.
Then of course the deliberate suppression of
the report of the Brigadier of the 178th Brigade
on my action in the field by Sir J. Maxwell.
You will hardly follow me here without some
explanation. It is absolutely the universal
custom in the Army that when a General
Officer Commanding in the field reports to
a superior office (in this case Sir. J. Maxwell)
on the conduct of officers in his command,
and when the Superior General is w was
not present — that the report of the
officer seen in command goes into the
Privy Council verbatim. Now Sir J. Maxwell was not even in
Ireland when the Brigadier reported on
my action, and not in command.
But he suppresses the report and
sent a private one of his own which was 3
adverse to me — and by that adverse one
I was "relegated to unemployment." You will see the bearing of this in connection
with your case if you will think it out.
Sir John Maxwell did an unheard of thing in
the Army, so as to prevent try to prevent,
in an imbicile manner, my having the
influence which naturally this report
of the Brigadier would have obtained
for me. He tried in fact to suggest that I was in
sympathy with the rebels, by suppressing
a fact which would, were had it been
published, have denied the possibility of it.
Of course the report has been called for,
and he altogether forgot that I have
enough influence, or aim, to break him
if I will. Of course I have called for the report and
have demanded that whan the P.M. and
Lord Kitchener said on my reporting the murders,
should be produced. On the whole the interest of Justice and
Truth goes well —and if it goes well,
in spite of the brutality and stupidity,
the cause of Ireland will go well, and
this is what your husband wanted !! I wrote a note to the Freemans Journal
as to my experience of the chivalry of the
rebels in the fight at the S.Dublin Union.
I hope they will be allowed to publish it. The Inquiry must come soon, and do
not forget St.W.M.Gibbon, I.S.C who
can give valuable evidence. Love to Owen, tell him to be as his Father
was, a Knight Errant. Yours sincerely
Francis Patrick Vane
of Hutton.