Mr. De Valera's comment was an extraordinarily sinister achievement. He
remarked that the killing of any human
being was an " awful act," but then he went on to say that he understood the attitude of mind in the assassins which had heen caused by a campaign of .outrage and aggression.
" I know that life has been made a hell for the Nationalist minority in Belfast and its neighbourhood for the past couple of years, and particularly for the past six months. I know that women have been outraged, men and women have been mur- dered, whole families have been wiped out, and I share the common belief that a cynical imperialism has instigated these outrages and provided the moans for carrying thorn through. I can imagine, therefore, the brother of an outraged sister or the husband of an outraged wife or the relatives of a murdered kinsman taking the law into his hands and resolving to give his own life for that of the supposed designer of the campaign of which his dear ones were the victims. I do not approve, but I must not pretend to misunderstand."
Last Saturday a statement on the murder was issued from the Four Courts by Mr. Rory O'Connor's irregulars. It said that " the shooting of Sir Henry Wilson " was not done at the instance of the I.R.A., which would have acknowledged the fact if it had been responsible. It then went on to repeat Mr. De Valera's charges in a slightly different form and wound up by saying that it " would be hypocritical to condemn such actions while the cause that provoked such things remains."
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