THE BELFAST RIOTS
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—Mr. St. John Ervine is not quite such a simpleton as some of your readers may be led to imagine from his letter in last week's issue of your paper. The recent Orange riots in Belfast are called Orange riots because they were planned, started and carried out by Orangemen. In the words of the Coroner of the City of Belfast : " The leaders of public opinion in high and responsible positions, by their inflammatory speeches and enmity towards those differing from them in religion, provoked and inflamed party passions, with the result that these breaches of the peace occurred."
The mob which marched on York Street on June 12th was an Orange mob, and its object, which it achieved without police interference, was to open the campaign of violence against Catholic lives and property which continued for a month. When all processions and public gatherings (except funerals) had been declared illegal, the Orange Lodges were allowed to break the law repeatedly. Nor was any action taken against Sir Joseph Davison for publicly inciting Orangemen to break the law. The Government, intimidated by the Orange Lodges, cancelled the law making processions illegal. On July 12th an Orange mob was once more allowed to march on York Street. Two thousand Catholics are now homeless.
Sane public opinion in Belfast has, of course, long been disgusted with, the attempts made by Orangemen, through religious bigotry and for political motives, to perpetuate the old feud. The whole" question is not, as Mr. St. John Ervine seems to think, one of " points of view," but of facts. These facts are likely to be far more widely known than at present —unless Mr. Baldwin's Government is afraid to hold the enquiry which was demanded by the Bishop of Down and Connor on August 1st.—Yours, &c., J. B. MORTON. 53 Ovington Street, S.W. 3.
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