THE MIDLETON REPRISALS.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Why not try to be more accurate in your weekly sum- mary of news, especially as regards Ireland? You say (January 8th, p. 34, col. 2) with regard to the Midleton reprisals : " The murderers fired from three houses where they had lain in wait for the patrol." How is it that not even the Castle communiqué nor the military one as much as suggests this? The latter simply stated that the inhabitants of these .houses must have known that the ambush was to take place. The Castle, to explain away an inconvenient fact which did not seem to inspire approval amongst the English masses, recited the military apologia, and gave the show away by explaining that these houses were occupied by persons known to sympathize with the militant side of Sinn Fein. Perhaps if they said the houses were burned because one belonged to the Sinn Fein chairman of the urban council, and the two others to persons respected by the townspeople, both Castle and military would be nearer the truth. But neither Castle nor military ever alleged that shots were fired from the houses at the patrol. Sufficient that they were occupied by Sinn Feiners. Of course, the Spectator places all Sinn Feiners out- side the pale of civilization just as it once placed those who are now conventionally known as Constitutional Nationalists. You abused Redmond and Dillon as much as you abuse De Valera and Griffith. But this is beside the point. What I want to emnhasize is that before making wild, harmful state- ments you should be sure of their accnracy.—I am, Sir, &e., [Our statement was based on telegrams published in the English Press as well as on the official report. We observe that our correspondent does not deny its accuracy, though a hasty reader may think that he does.—ED. Spectator.]
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