They were an affliated force of the Royal Irish Constabulary that executed their missions during the War of
Independence with a particular viciousness. They were not, as many Irish Nationalists claim, British jailbirds
assembled to wreck havoc in Ireland, but ex-World War I soldiers lured back from demobilization in 1920 by the
promise of money and action. Whence their nickname? Once the war was on, there simply wasn't enough RIC
uniforms for all the forces, and so this gang went about in khakis. Admittedly, Michael Collins and his Volunteers -
now called the Irish Republican Army - didn't shrink from potshot and assassination, but even by IRA standards the
Black and Tans were a ruthless bunch. Decades later, mention of their name sends a shiver up the spine of an
Irishman, while discussing them at a literary reading on the decorous Upper East Side of Manhattan. In the audience
were various Irish and English and Irish Americans, as well as some just-plain Americans. The reading had an Irish
slant and was generally well received. But there were odd moments, not the least of them when the evening's host,
apparently of English descent, mentioned during his introduction of tonight's guest that he himself had dressed for
balance - tan sports coat, black slacks - since the forthcoming words were sure to be very green. The audience laughed
politely.
