NATIONALISM IN NORTHERN IRELAND

[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR]

SIR,—In your issue of October 21st, 1938, in your items " News of the Week " under the heading of " Mr. de Valera on Partition,'! you say : " Not even the most ardent adherent of Lord Craigavon's Govern- ment can deny that in the Counties of Fermanagh and Tyrone there exists unquestionably, and in the larger area of Fermanag Tyrone, Londonderry and Armagh almost certainly, a substantial majority opposed to Partition."

I know, Sir, that you are a great believer in elections by the system of Proportional Representation. Two General Elec- tions were held under Proportional Representation for the Ulster Parliament. The one issue was Union with Great Britain or a United Ireland ; the result was in each case as under :

ULSTER DIVISION UNIONISTS NATIONALISTS

Fermanagh and Tyrone .. • • 4 Londonderry City and County .. 3 4

2

Armagh .. • • 3 I

Totals .. .. to 7 Where is your substantial majority opposed to Partition ? The above 17 seats are now single member constituencies and the result is :

ULSTER DIVISION UNIONISTS NATIONALISTS

Fermanagh .. 2 I Tyrone .. 2 3

Derry City .. 1 I

Derry County 2 I

Armagh .. 3 I _ — Totals .. to .. 7 If you take the last General Election-1935—for the Parliament of the United Kingdom, there were two contests in the Counties : Armagh County :

Unionist • • 34,002 Nationalist 16,284 Unionist majority.. .. • • 17,718

Tyrone and Fermanagh returning two Members, the figures were : Nationalist 50,891 Nationalist 50,603 Unionist 46,625 Unionist

46,000

Nationalist majority .. .. 3,978

Even this can hardly be called a substantial majority, or, if you take the three Counties in block—Fermanagh, Tyrone and Armigh-:-it shows a Unionist Majority of 13,740. As regards Derry City and Derry County, which returns one Member to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the last and only contest vial in 1.924. Result

Unionist .. 30,875 Nationalist .. 6,386

Unionist majority.. • • 24,489

I think, Sir, you have made a most untrue statement when you say that " there is almost certainly a substantial majority opposed to Partition " in the area of Fermanagh, Tyrone, Londonderry, and Armagh.—Yours truly,

GEORGE C. G. YOUNG,

• M.P. Northern Ireland. Braidwater, Ballymena, Co. Antrim.