The policy of silence dates a long way back. When
during the war the Sinn Feiners were actively co-operating with the Germans the Government must have had ample proofs that Sum Fein was guilty of the greatest of crimes. Yet no proofs were given to the public. We hardly dare to measure the results of this secretiveness. The public, instead of leaping to the support of the Government with righteous enthusiasm, aa they undoubtedly would have done, have been under sore temptation to take a kind of balanced view of what has been happening in Ireland—to say that though the murders of Police and soldiers were, of course, terrible, there was apparently something to be said on the other side. The Government could have ended this hot-and-cold state of opinion at any time. We devoutly hope that they are going to do so at last. In this Way, and in this way only, can they create a state of public qiniOn about murder worthy of our country. And having once
established, or rather let us say restored, that state of opinion, they will find that their dealings with Ireland have suddenly become enormously simplified.
