Bombs on Eire
What was Germany's motive in dropping bombs on Dublin and other parts of Eire last week? The Berlin suggestion that the bombs were British is foolish in view of the fact that they had already been identified as German. It is inconceivable that these attacks can have been due to navigational errors, for Dublin, with no black-out, could not possibly be mistaken for a British city. Only a few days earlier President Roosevelt, reflect- ing no doubt on Mr. de Valera's refusal to lend Irish bases for the protection of British shipping, had pointed out that if Germany won Eire would hardly be permitted to survive as an " amazing pet exception in an unfree world." Is it possible that the Nazis meant to give Eire a foretaste of what they would do if she abandoned her neutrality? If so, it is another example of very poor psychology on their part, for nothing would be so likely to anger the Irish people and turn them against Germany as a brutal attack of this kind on a neutral country. None the less this seems the most probable explana- tion, for it is not the custom of the Germans to give warnings to those whom they intend to attack ; if it were their purpose to invade Eire immediately they would not take precisely those steps which would make her prepare for invasion. In the meantime it is rather an absurdity for Mr. de Valera, when talking of defending Eire's neutrality against any aggressor, to speak as if anyone had any doubt as to who the aggressor might be. There is only one country that could dream of violating Eire's neutrality, and that is Germany ; if Germany does, it will be nobody's fault but Eire's own if it is then too late for Britain to save her.
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