The political prisoners who are on hunger-strike and are in imminent danger of death will not be released.
The Government's decision to detain the men, in spite of the critical nature of the position, was announced in a dramatic atmosphere in the Dail last night by Mr de Valera.
His voice trembled with emotion as he said: "We have chosen the lesser of two evils, and the lesser evil is to see men die rather than that the safety of the whole community should be endangered."
Mr de Valera revealed that one man who had been on hunger-strike for thirty days had been released, and the immediate reaction was that some half-a-dozen others began to strike.
"We don't want to see Irishmen die," he declared. "We don't want to be opposed to any group of Irishmen . . . . and, Heaven only knows, before the end of this time of danger, we may want every section to stand with us to try and maintain the rights of our people."
At the close of the statement, which was a reply to a resolution from the Labour Party on the subject of the hunger-strikers, opportunity was given to the House to ask questions on the subject.
Nobody spoke.
The Irish Times, November 10th, 1939.