r 7 Dec 80 Pects Dear Editor, _' Sojourning in Scotland, I came across the attached article today's "Sunday Express". I recall You pub- lished the text of an address by Mr. Crane on this subject a fewweeks ago. He hadbeen brought over, especially for this purpose, frcm Northern ’ Island. . .

In asking you to publish Mr. Gardiner's article, I

marks

of a case before

. making a decision. May I also renew my plea, made consistently over the years, for a strong univer- sity debating society. For

me, this is one of the hall-

of any good univer-

sity. St. Dunstan's had the tradition. For seventeen Editor's Note: 'Ihe follow1ng is taken from "The Sunday Express" December 7, 1980. It was Written by George Gardiner, Tory MP for Reigate in Britain. When reading the

consecutive years, I under- stand, they carried off

trophies at provincial and

national levels. May I

urge all students and facul-

ty to support the efforts

now being made to re—build

this worthy tradition.

v Yours sincerely,

Edward Ednnnds

do not wish to Hake political article: bear in mind that the hunger strike is

capital: indeed, I do not necessarily agree with Mr. Gardiner either. What I do wish to shOw is how very differently "the truth" (so called) may seem to different people: and how it behaves us in the uni- versity to consider, as

in a court of law, all as.—

have London,

GIVEIIIE em OF—lIFE'

'e

BLQOD DONO'R CL

1

'TII-urzsiiéiiflwi‘ 22, 3

in and“ - ‘we are ‘

warned to expect more elsewhere.

In Brussels an attempt has been made to assass- inate one of our EEC‘Com- missioners.

IFJICE

«5 PM;

over and that Mrs.fl’ihatcher has been to and re— turned frcm Northern Ireland. ' THE first of the IRA’s pre — Christmas bombs ‘ exploded

And in the hospital block of Northern Ireland’s Maze prison seven men are starv- * ing themselves to death in‘ a bid to win “ special status,“ for c o n v i c t e d terrorists.

; Will this prove a sus- tained new surge of terror by the IRA ? Or is the hunger strike ,a last desper- ate bid to restore passion and hatred to a cause of which “the vast majority of Ulster’s citizens, regardless of creed, are utterly sick ‘2

It is important to ask these questions. on the eve of 'Margaret Thatcher’s expected visit to Dublin for talks with the Irish Prime Minister. Charles Haughey.

For if it.is the second of these questions that puts a finger on the truth. then the two premiers have a real chance to pull what is possibly the last prop from under the IRA. and turn its retreat into a rout.

That terrorism has been lpu‘shed back in Northern ‘Ireland there can be no doubt. The number of bombings and killings are .down. Troops are steadily

‘ policemen. There is much

closer co-operation between police forces across the Border.

Of course. atrocities still occur. But they are fewer and the chances oi‘detec—

1

tion greater. Terrorists are.

spurned where once they

were sheltered. They are on

the run.

It is in this context that we must understand the gruesome happenings in the Maze.

HUMANE

For two - and - a — half years 5 e IRA prisoners have re used to wear clothes, spread their excre- ment over cell walls. and urinated through ventila- tors. presenting to the world‘ a picture of men

imprisoned in vile condi- I . _ H , ‘ Republics Opposition parties ; have disowned the hunger

strikers and their demand for

tions beliefs.

In fact. the Maze is the most modern and humane high security jail in the United Kingdom. There are hundreds of men awaiting trial in Brixton who would dearly love just a small share of the comforts available to convicted terrorists there.

Now we have the morbid ritual of the hunger strike. If the Government yields and accords “special s tus." this will be taken to confer respect on the IRA‘s crimes in the eyes of the world.

And if it does not. and a

for their political

. hunger striker dies. this

REFRESHMENTS SERVED being withdrawn from the mu be used to stoke u

. r v p

Streets' and nephew by sectarian hatred throughout

— — _ — lreland and in our mainland reasoning :

NIGHT 7'

(SPECIAL PRICES BOD-LNICI'H‘S)

/

Incarnp, OVER '"THE car) SPAIN"

THE AVENUES e

I MOIIJAIINIGIII, ' " ‘TUAYMGl-ITs

flu-er ' shot 9 * NIGHT

BEST

BEST SEIECI‘ION OF MUSIC SYSTEM ‘

'BEST LIGHT SHG'U

LAKIFBT DANCE FIXER IN CHARTMTE'IU‘M

DROPONUP'IOTHEAVENUES FORA GOOD TIME, BUT DON'T BE LATE,OR A LINEUP WILL BE YOUR FA

NOCOVERCHARGE

I",_VY.9\- ON KENT. STREET . l EESKS srru NIGHTL FROM PHI 1 am

pHUBBv JR. HOT DOG REG. ROOT BEER ONION RINGS REG. ROOT BEER

WH-IASTLE‘ DOG FRENCH FRIES

REG. ROOT BEER

THURSDAY 7 e""°°°”°°’“"‘-°°"°~s

1 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

MAMA BURGER FRENCH FRIES .REG. ROOT BEER

~ FRIDAY j

FISH s CHIPS REG. ROOT BEER

«- ' 'l Illam-‘me “

AIGREAT "DEAL ON AN'APPETIZING MEAL!

9 In the webs; Friday, January 16, 1981, page 5

mes/4G _. Northernn Ireland I

cities.

But just what .kind of martyrs would these men be? Take Thomas McKearney. serving a minimum sentence of 20 years for murder.

He and. another man set. a tmp for a postman, family man and part-time member of the Ulster Defence Regi- ment. at a remote farmhouse. As he arrived to deliver a letter they themselves had posted. they riddled his van

_ with bullets.

Not content with this. they took a shotgun from the house and tired it in his face at point-blank range.

so far as I am concerned. there is only one kind of "special status" deserved by such a crime. and that 15 a place in a plain wooden coffin six feet under the ground.

If Mrs. Thatcher were to yield so much as an inch to such men then her Govern— ment‘s will to exterminate terrorism would be put in doubt and IRA morale would surge.

As the Pope said in Ireland last year, murder is murder and should not be. called any other name.

Already responsible Roman

‘Catholic leaders on all sides.

bishops and liticians. have appealed to t e seven to end their hunger strike.

But there is one notable exception and he is the one who could have the greatest influence of all—the Prime Minister of the Irish Republic, Mr. Haughey.

The leaders of both the

“ special status ” v and have challenged him to do the same.

But throughout last week he refused to do so, ducking and dodging behind talk of come promise and changes to prison ' rules in the Maze.

By such behaviour. Mr. Haughey is providing Ireland's men of violence with the strongest support and encouragement they still have.

For so long as they can claim tacit support from the Irish Prime Minister they are able to be presented to the world as fighters for a just cause.

Now it is not in Mr. Haughey’s interest that the IRA should thrive. He knows this organisation is a threat to law and order in the South only slightly less than

in the North.

Yet still he eouivocates. giving stremrth torthe notion that in Northernpwlreland murder need not be murder. but can be dignified as levitimate political protest.

When she visits Dublin. “Firs. Thatcher must lav it on the line that the regime in the Maze is humane and will remain so—but that there is not the remotest chance of “snecial status ” being con- ~ ceded to those Who murder and maim.

Will Mr. Hauehey respond hv adding his voice to those deolorinp: the huntzer strike. thus robbing' the IRA of the last real propaganda weapon it has ?

If not. then assuredly his hands will bear the stain of any blood shed in consequence and the stench surrounding him Will be as foul as in any H-blockrcell. .

.L -__—.—..V._.

' HIE BIKE snap;

COME ON UP TO 2ND FLOOR l:OR ALL YOUR SPORTS AND CASUAL CLOTHING.

(Univ; Ave. Location Only)