Sir, - I refer to the essay by Brendan Barrington (The Irish Times, October 7th) and the review by Fintan O'Toole of The Wartime Broadcasts of Francis Stuart, 1942-1944, edited by Mr Barrington (Books, October 14th). Firstly, I would like to congratulate your photographer, Eric Luke, on the striking and moving picture of Francis Stuart on his death bed.
As for the articles, it seems extraordinary to me that anyone should want to continue demonising Francis Stuart with labels of pro-Nazi and anti-Semite after conclusive proof to the contrary before his death - unless, perhaps, to make him a scapegoat for the sins of others. After all, there was plenty of Nazi sympathy and anti-Semitism in Ireland in the 1930s and 1940s. And, yes, Francis Stuart admired Hitler for a time until he became disillusioned, like so many others, considering Hitler to have become possessed by the spirit of evil.
Whatever one might make of his remark about Austrian Jews in 1924, quoted by both O'Toole and Barrington, the facts remain that he had Jewish friends, admired the Jewish character and had his books published by a Jew. Obviously, from Fintan O'Toole's quotations from the broadcasts, he was politically naive and confused, as he himself would have been the first to admit, but a Nazi collaborator, never.
That implies approval of the Holocaust which in Francis Stuart's case would be inconceivable. May he rest in peace. - Yours, etc.,
James Evans, Lower Churchtown Road, Dublin 14.