We sincerely hope, however, that the Government will abide by
Mr. Churchill's refusal of an inquiry. It is essential to protect Ulster. That being so, such reasonable steps must be taken as will make Ulster safe. From every military point of view it would have been ridiculous for the British troops to occupy a fragment of Pettigo or to sit down at points hopelessly commanded by the hills in Free State territory. It may be said, and, of course, is being said, by the Sinn Feiners and by their English friends, that political and not military con- siderations ought to have prevailed. We cannot agree. The Republicans used force when they invaded Ulster, and in this unhappy and very imperfect world force had to be the answer. The argument that though there had to be force it must be force applied in an unscientific or even in a futile way is really not worth attention. Nobody would dream of applying force at all to the I.R.A. if only it would behave itself,
