SIR. —In Mr. Rawle Knox's interesting article, Protestants in Eire, he
says: " Strasbourg has heard that Sir Ronald Ross was a Kaiser's man in 1914 and that Mr. de Valera was a Hitler's man in 1945 ; that part of the island is forcibly occupied by the British and that this same ' occupied ' portion wants to be British." These remarks being published as of equal truth or falsity may lead readers astray unless they are told the facts.
The asinine myth that the Ulster Volunteer Force in general and myself in particular were "Kaiser's men" is apparently still repeated in the Irish Republic despite its complete falsity and the fact that we joined the forces as soon as war was declared. I think it's rather hard on me personally as, although not a regular soldier, I was under fire with the B.E.F. on August 25th, 1914. As to Mr. de Valera, the only statement as to his position in 1945 that was made at Strasbourg was that he called on Germany's representatives in Dublin to condole on the death of Hitler. This I have never heard denied.
The answer to the question as to Northern Ireland's being forcibly occupied or wishing to be British will be found in the results of the General Election held there in February this year.—Yours faithfully,
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