Secretary of State for BELL.
had made in the previous 12 months.
normality'.
On the same day as Mason's three British soldiers had been shot dead in Crossmaglan, and on previous night five hotels various parts of the North of Ireland had been bombed out As Mason spoke. members of the Roval Wister Constabulary were being questioned in connection with a number of crimes, including the kidnapping of a priest.
on une previous weekend, England had suffered a number of minor explosions. for which the IRA later claimed responsibility.
this constitutes Mason's 'return to normality". the Labour Government must hope things don't get out of Hand.
SPECTACULAR In December 1977 Mason had said much the same. tide has claimed, 'against the men of violence'.
Mason was speaking then at the end of a year in which 8,000 Ibs of explosives had gone off in the North of Ireland. The total 1978 was also the year in which demonstrators PIERCE thousands returned to streets of the North of Ireland.
One of the most spectacular successes was the 15,000 who marchee August Coalisland Dungannon marking the tenth anniversary of the civil rights movement It is not lust the resistance of Socialist Challenge 4 January 1979 Page 6 THE THURSDAY before Christmas Roy Mason, Northern Ireland, interviewed on Ulster Television, reports GEOFF In what Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein was later to describe as 'one long ego trip', Mason told a rather startled interviewer about the wonderful progress he There was, insisted the Minister, 'a return to the minority in the North of Ireland which has shown the hollowness of Roy Mason's the boasts. exposure of Britain's repressive policies, which the Amnesty KODORE publicity around H eight helped to bring to light, started process which questions were being asked in bullam doout te irish war Inan in any other year since 1972.
DIVISIONS The now tamous campaign newspaper's own description Roy to set a date for withdrawal and the inability of the Labour Government to get a majority of the Parliamentary Labour Party to vote for more Westminster SCaES North of Ireland were further indications political disenchantment. "The Despite serious divisions in pro- the Irish solidarity movement, 1978 also saw a mercase in une numbers willing to be involved in various Irish campaizus i brall HEALTHY The most non-sectarian, and accordingly the healthiest of the the various organisations, the United Troops Out Movement, has now something in the region of 40 branches.
For the first time since the introduction of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, a trickle of Irish immigrants took part in marches and other activities. was were the block the time and the targets. more Daily The growth of the solidarity should BOYCHICHR exaggerated. -It IS compared to what is necessary to have a significant influence in British society. -OT the Nevertheless, unspectacular growing discernable. There seemed no reason to assume unis process would not continue in 1979.
Until, 1021 is, significant visionals' the English cities and towns just before Christmas.
What political these bombs have? Whether or not the Provisionals want explode what turned out to be rather harmless devices is up to them.
A war is going on in Ireland and as instigators of that war, British imperialism has no right to expect their main opponents to operate within a set of rules arawnup oy bram.
It is Britain was not in Ireland; if the Irish people were given the right bombs would not explode in Bristol, London, Southampton or elsewhere.
It is not bombs which have causea une trisn proolem. It 1s the British presence in Ireland.