Sir, - Why, in circumstances of peace in Northern Ireland, does Britain persist in introducing legislation that puts that peace in danger? Why should it endanger that peace by jumping to the dictates of extreme unionists who see fit to hold Mr. Trimble to ransom, when there is no actual IRA threat to peace?
Why, in purely pragmatic terms, where the IRA supports the peace process, causing its guns to remain silent, does Britain propose to jeopardise the reality of peace?
Further, if replaceable arms rust in dumps and the peace process is maintained, why, on debatable legal grounds, does Britain persist in putting that peace in danger? Finally, revolutionary warfare is dictated by circumstances. In objective terms, the circumstances are not right at the moment for a resumption of hostilities by the IRA. The proposed British legislation could drastically alter these circumstances. In this context, it is well to remember that maladroit British policy in 1970, based on the big stick of coercion, led to nearly three decades of war.
We do not want to repeat that exercise. - Yours, etc., (Capt.) James J. Kelly,
Curzon Street, Dublin 8.