From the Archives: Air raid precautions, hysteria and wasting money

Sir, – Has our Government gone mad? Is it really true that thousands of pounds are to be spent in the cities and towns of our scheduled areas upon air raid precautions? Is it any use to sound a warning against this tragic folly? Can the voice of reason hope to be heard in the hysterical atmosphere of the war?

When war was imminent, I comforted myself with the reflection that at any rate we had a Government which should not lose its head. Our Prime Minister [Éamon de Valera] had been accustomed to war and every type of war. He emerged from what was called a rebellion during a greater war; that was hardly over when he led this nation’s war against its conquerors; when that was settled upon terms of which he did not approve he took a no less prominent part in a terrible civil war; later when in power he carried on a tedious economic war. In greater or less degree that same could be said of his colleagues and of his opposition. Yes, I reflected, they will know how to keep their heads; we shall be safe from hysteria.

From the moment war broke out, all the signs were the other way. One sensible thing was done, and sensibly done, without opposition – our neutrality was declared. It was then emphasised that there would be difficulty in having our neutrality recognised and maintained; but who could expect that we would take no notice or advantage of it ourselves? Regardless of our own problems, our Cabinet looked around Europe, especially at England, and frantically and slavishly tried to do here what was being done there. Our special problem would be, as it always had been, poverty; but instead of conserving our slender resources, they proceeded to squander them as if they were war lords at the head of a wealthy nation with some hope of plunder or some plunder to defend.

Volunteers were appealed for, reservists were called from their normal productive employment, the army put upon its most expensive basis – you can see them kicking their heels off around the Curragh, Mullingar and our garrison towns. We must, too, said our warrior Cabinet, get busy at A.R.P. [air-raid precautions] and spend thousands on that (did not England spend millions?) So thousands are being spent on A.R.P. without a word of protest from the people who think these things are necessary for their protection and who will be ground in poverty to pay for them.

Here in Waterford we are now to have £46,000 spent on A.R.P. In due course we shall have, I suppose, guns, searchlights, balloons, gas masks, ambulances, sandbags, wardens, etc. (they have these things in England). So far we have only a semi-official black-out, which has caused a good many casualties, and warning sirens set up at I know not what expenses.

What earthly use is the siren going to be? Who is going to raid us? Who is going to tell the fireman that we are about to be raided? What are we to do about it, if he does operate his siren in time? Even when we have spent the £46,000, will the fireman know any more, and can we prevent the raiders flying low and slow over our city and dropping their bombs down our chimney stacks, if they should ever want to?

It is paying for all this nonsense that is the tragedy. But there is also the real tragedy of our children who are being terrified and mentally warped by all this hysteria on the part of their elders.

Perhaps, I was wrong originally in my comforting reflection about our Government and Opposition. Perhaps, it is just because of their warlike upbringing that they cannot reconcile themselves to genuine neutrality and pedestrian commonsense. I cannot help recalling with shame just now the old stage-Irish joke of the tipsy Irishman, confronted unexpectedly with a fight between people he did not know, asking: “Is this a private row, or may anyone join in?” But the joke did not go so far as to tell us that, having declared his neutrality, he spent all he had left on the fight without being allowed to take part. – Yours, etc.,

"JUSTITIA."
Waterford, November 6th, 1939.

Read the original here

Selected by Joe Joyce; email fromthearchives@irishtimes.com