25 APRIL 1941, Page 14

POLITICS IN ULSTER

Sm,—I should like to congratulate " Janus " upon the fairly accurate perspective of his note on the recent by-election in North Down, Northern Ireland. The electirm was, in fact, a challenge to the official Unionist party-machine—or a revolt if one cares to use the term. But it might be wise to emphasise that Alderman Baillie, the • successful Independent Unionist candidate, is as strong a Unionist as his opponent, and that the most that can be read into the result of the election is that it reveals an independence and freedom of thought and action which many, deluded people felt had disappeared from Ulster many years ago. It rather gives the lie .direct to allegations

that Fascism is rampant diet there.—Yours, GavArt. London, W.14.