LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
[Letters of the length of one of our leading paragraphs are often more read, and therefore more effective, than those which fill treble the space.] "LIBERTY" IN IRELAND.
[To THE EDITOR as THE " SPECTATOR.")
Sia,—A friend of mine has forwarded to me a copy of your issue of May 27th, containing a letter from Professor Culverwell, of Trinity College, Dublin, in which certain allegations are made against Cookstown. Your correspondent regrets that when letters are published about Ireland no attempt is made to show both sides of the question. He refers in particular to a notice, which he says was pasted "on the doors and windows of the private houses and offices of all Roman Catholics," threatening that if any more police or Crown forces were shot lathe district ten leading Sinn Feiners would be shot in reprisal. In this statement there is just that element of exaggeration which, often bordering on, if not actually entering, the realm of falsehood, is so characteristic of Sinn Fein propaganda against the North. The propaganda has in several instances been particularly directed against Cookstown, for the simple reason that the forces of law and order have been so efficient as to prevent Sinn Fein from carrying out its dastardly work there as in other places. There is peace and protection for all law-abiding and respectable citizens in Cookstown. The notices referred to were not pasted on every R.C. door, &c. Only a few were posted in the entire town, and these were promptly removed by the police. Many respectable people in the town, both Protestant and R.C., never saw one of them. I have this information from the District Inspector, who is a highly respected member of the congregation of which I am the minister. These notices were the work of a few irresponsibles, but no doubt those who posted them were influenced by the fact—unmentioned by your correspondent, anxious though he is to have both sides of the question made known—that three Policemen were shot dead at Ballyronan, one at Corvanaghan, and an officer wounded at Dungate, all in the vicinity of Cookstown, the latter two being actually stationed in this town. I admit that this does not justify the issuing of these threatening notices, but it shows there were grounds for anxiety regarding the safety of the Crown forces in the neighbourhood.
I am an honours graduate of the distinguished university in which your correspondent is a professor. I have always been, and still am, an apostle and preacher of moderation. Believing that I have been called to a more exalted service, I have never taken an outstanding part in politics, and have particularly eschewed them in my pulpit. Many of the " B " Class of Special Constabulary so violently attacked by Sinn Fein propagandists are members of my congregation. They are respectable, peaceful, industrious citizens who have their daily task to perform and would be glad to see the time when it will no longer be necessary for them to parade the roads and streets at night, when what they need most is rest. I have often watched them from my window when I was retiring at night, going forth on their sacred- task of protecting their own and others' homes, and have felt that they are worthy of the highest honour both for their personal character and their self-sacrifice. Therefore, Sir, I could not allow this foul aspersion on this town to go unchallenged, and hence I have written the first and only letter I have ever written to the Press.—I am, Sir, &c.,
P.S.—Regarding the notice to Protestant farmers to dismiss R.C. labourers, I need only say that one of these, against whose dismissal his employee protested, has been arrested by the Northern authorities as being a dangerous person.—T. H. R.
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