Unfree Citizen: Vol. 4 no. 1, 7 October 1974

ocracy 5 a en eo, SIRS =? +h-October 1974~

DONEGAN’S ADVICE TO

THE UNEMPLOYED

“JOIN THE _

MERCENARIES”

Vol.4 No.l For a 32Co. Workers’ and_ Small Farmers”-Republic—

RRS 2S STE BE

TS MONTHS ON REMAND-

THEN FREED!

In July 1973 when P.D. comrades wnet on hunger strike, the British All counts (even the corrupt desal Tony Canavan and Michael Farrell Army arrested Laim while he was system in ne 6 Cos. oul nae ome - nd — — ~ commenced their hunger strike for at work and charged him with enough evidence to convict him) ‘2 o meee “i months will not political status in Crumlin Road jail attempted murder of 7 British soldiers! pe ee sea! i the British repression machine swung The foot patrol had come under fire Despite the fact that Liam’s ee ee ee into full motion. Inside the jail. the during the time Liam was painting a employer came forward to testify exception. There are many young warders kept taunting the comrades house in a different area of Belfast! as to his whereabouts, he was nie on remand in Crumlin Rd.

with food and ensuring that in their The hunger strike succeeded in remanded in custody to Crumlin Rd. 2% ——s uP — The weak condition they'd have to use getting Tony, Michael and 98 other prison, pending his trial. This ac ime “a a — % not up their energy walking long distances — short term prisoners released. But then left Mr. & Mrs. Canavan with bit nl Se get oy to get_a drink of water. not so Liam Canavan. He was three sons behind bars. Along with anteanionist la. va li e ili Outside the jail, the Canavan family remanded for 15 MONTHS awaiting having to divide visits between Unfort ar fee riot were made to suffer the full extent of — per majesty’s pleasure; he was Long Kesh and Crumlin Road, the pe = re fe a i oa the wrath of the British Army, for finally brought to trial last week Canavan home was continually tis sets oe ok ies ey — ee having a son who actually had the charged with four offences. They subjected to British Army raids. ae ee ‘ 8 oot © me cheek’ to make demands ot the were: (1) Attempted murder of 7 and was released immediately. <- a a pte tk es .

administration. One of Tony’s British soldiers: (2) possession of His position now is that as he was ie pre is aes eesig brothers Chris, has been interned in weapons; (3) possession with intent; unable to complete his apprenticeship, ..:.4 ‘of the I RA e d h Long Kesh since 1973. His other (4) membership of an illegal due to his imprisonment he has no Pe eee he ‘th = t .

brother Liam aged 17 was serving organisation. All charges were chance of taking it up where he left oe: adic menyen Y his apprenticeship as a painter and proferred without a shred of off. Also, having been in prison = ot ee Le f at Fie ene : wee : epression by the implementing decorator, when Tony was jailed. evidence to substantiate them. ruins his chances of ever getting any of a 32 k bli A few days after Tony and Michael Needless to say, Liam got off on sort of decent employment again. * ial title aig 8 sia

BEHIND WAGE CUT.

AND THE DOLE QUEUE

Ireland and the World outlook - World Capitalism ison the threshold . Then began the extraction of the of capitalism and of the ‘World’ taxation, indirect taxation, V.A.T.

of an economic crisis unprecedented in native raw materials, rubber, cotton, | slump, as was the World War of “Social Cantracts”’ and the like.

depth and scope in its history which coffee and the like and their 1939—'45. In order to make this bitter pill more is replete with slumps and cricis. shipment to the imperialist economies The Irish economy is closely palatible, to convince the people of The capitalist economy, from about (e.g. England and America) where integrated into the world capitalist the necessity of accepting the burden the middle of the 19th century they were processed by the capitalist | economy and its fate is absolutely it is given out that “rises in wages will developed in fits and starts. Periods of | enterprises. The native population bound up with the fate of the latter. make ‘our’ goods non-competitive in prosperity, of the rapid development became consumers of the The post-war economy went from export markets’, that ‘‘profits must of industry and commerce had, as commodities manufactured in the strength to strength when capitalism be increased in order to increase their inevitable sequel, periods of capitalist countries. recovered from its crises, and apart investment and, by raising productivity stagnation of trade and industry, and This process was not accomplished from a number of minor recessions reduce prices and make ‘us’ more a consequent rise in unemployment without hundreds of colonial wars, there was uninterrupted economic competitive’. The Central Bank and bankruptsies. This cycle of boom __ or without the destruction of the growth. The supports of capitalism’ issues such statements from time to and slump tended to repeat itself native economies or massacre and rejoiced at the apparent success of time and they are immediately seized every decade. slaughter of native populations so state intervention in economic life. upon and given maximum publicity During the 19th Century these that Western imperialism came into | Slumps were declared to be a thing in the newspapers and television.

economic convulsions affected the the world, in Marx’s phrase ‘covered of the past and Marxist economic The entire affairs is carefully economics of one or several capitalistic. from head to toe in blood and dirt”. criticism consigned to the museum of —_¢o-ordinated and orchestrated and ally developed countries; only they This expropriation of the antiquities. The present growing provides a useful bolt-hole for the were national in character. But with non-white races was accompanied by _Cricis has taken these people by the trade union leadership to prostrate the creation of the world market, trade wars between the European throat and wiped the sunny grims themselves before the Federate d with the intensification of trade countires and colonies changed hands _ Off their faces! Union of Employers and. capitalist between countries and the emergence =-many times. Despite these millions It is characteristic of bourgeois politicians and double cross the of international combines, the of extra consumers for the products _ Politicians and journalists that they rank and file trade unionist.

economic disasters simultaneously of Western industry, economic crisis | Should try to conceal the fact that it Our answer to the F.U.E. and to affected an even greater number of became more severe and their effects _'s private enterprise capitalism that their hired prize fighters in the Dail countries. Crisis became international | became more widespread. This period has produced the crises. High-sounding js; “It is your economy, your and began to embrace the whole culiminated in the “Wall St. Crash” —_ references to difficulties in the problems, accumulated under your capitalist world. of 1929. This slump of unprecedented “international economy’’, “fiscal management. Your system under These crisis were crisis of over- magnitude threw tens of millions problems’; “balance of payment your management has produced the production, the capaicty of the out of work in Europe and the U.S.A. problems” or ‘‘factors outside of our —_— crises. Shoulder the burden yourself” industries of the handful of (12 million in the USA), brought control’ should fvol no one. All of “Here it is not a question of developed capitalist countries to economic ruin to millions of farmers ““our’’ woes are blamed on the fuel workers making endless sacrifices in produce had outpaced the capacities | and small manufacturers and, what is Crises as though the economics of the —_ order to make YOUR business of their own internal markets to not generally know, had even more Arab states were not capitalist and competitive and allowing YOU to absorb that production. A way out disastrous effects in the colonies than 4 Component part of the world pile up profits at our expense. If of this impasse was discovered by in the developed capitalist countries. capitalist economy. your businesses and your economy, being characterised more by a The slump lasted throughout the All such talk is in essence a under your stewardship, can only ruthless resourcefullness than by 1930's and, in the capitalist world confidence trick to pull the wool over function at our expense then it is social-scruples. All those countries, (the economy of the U.S.S.R. was peoples eyes and to obscure the fact time to make an end of it!”’ whole continents no less than the unaffected then, as now, by the that capitalism by its nature produces The welfare of the Irish working smallest islands, where capitalism economic crisis of world capitalism) crisis and will do so as long as it class can only be guaranteed after had not yet taken root, were forcibly ushered in a period of political crisis exists. Such statements are also the they have expropriated the taken over and made part of the and nourished the growth and prelude to attempts to make the =—_—_ capitalists and established workers various western Empires. Thus arose consolidation of Fascism ina number Working class and the petty bourgeoisie control of industry. This will be the phenomena of capitalist of European countires. shoulder the burden by accepting Socialism.

imperialism. Fascism was the legitimate offspring CUts in living standards via the politics of wage restraints, higher co ee Ee ee

LONG KESH PROTESTS MUST NOT

BE USED

For almost four weeks now a series of protests have been mounted to draw attention to the plight of those men at present incarcerated in Long Kesh.

Initially the protests were by the prisoners themselves and were directly related to the enormous deterioration of the food being served to the men (often rotten and always stone cold) as well as to the general conditions within the individual huts (filthy bed clothes and ludicrous sanitary arrangements). Within a few days the protests were taken up outside Long Kesh and a series of roadblocking operations mounted within the Belfast city centre areas at important road junctions seemed to indicate that a determined campaign in support of the internee’s legitimate demands was about to be launched. To follow up the roablocking operations a march to the city centre of Belfast was organised. At first it wasn't clear who was behind this move but eventually it became obvious that the Official Republicans, through several Republican Clubs in Belfast, were the main organisers. The Officials themselves and the marchers. As it used the tense situation which existed then, to rally support for a march which everyone was led to believe would be as militant, vocal and successful as had been the roadbliockin operations. As it turned out neither proved to be the case and the marches (there were eventually two of them) actually destroyed whatever faith. people had in the street protests helping the men in Long Kesh, at least for the present. To actually ‘lead’ the first march the Officials formed a ‘United Belfast Workers Association’ (an excellent idea: it consisted of most of the workers on sites and in factories around the Falls Rd. area). But although the idea of forming such a group to lead the protest march to Belfast City Hall was excellent, the actual tactics which the Officials advocated should be used by the ‘United Workers Association’ were disastrous. Taking into consideration the reformist nature of the Officials and the fact that they have leaned over backwards to appease the sectarian thugs of the Loyalist para-military organisations like the U.D.A. and U.V.F. it is still hard to envisage why they should have ‘openly advocated the following tactics: Both marches in many ways resembled funeral marches going down the Falls Rd. Not one slogan was raised apart from a few cries of

AS A SOP 10 LOYALISM

“Long Kesh Fou Stinks’. The marchers were claimed as non-political by their organisers!!!

(who were mostly Officials).

No organisation banners were allowed } to be carried. Many P.D. members : on the marches were threatened by stewards for shouting political slogans and trying to raise the level of politics on the marches. The first march was claimed-a success by the Officials because it reached its objective (the City Hall Belfast). But whatever success they felt had been gained didn’t certainly reflect itself in the eyes of the authorities who were surprised in many ways by the timidity of the marchers and their lack of political direction — given their large number and the obvious support they had among the anti-Unionist people. _ The reaction of the RUC and Army to the second march certainly proved that. The confidently blocked the march at Castle Street around % mile away from the City Hall knowing full well that there was little chance of.a confrontation between was the vast bulk of the march which numbered well over 1,000 workers merely drifted away on being virtual extinction at the hands of — Loyalist fascism is to say the least incredible for an organisation which claims to be pro-Republican and anti-fascist. unfortunately ideologically disarmed blocked by the army. The general those anti-Unionists involved in the g attitude dominating the march was _ Protests and made a determined effort “Whats the bloody use of bothering , to lower the level of politics involved.

when the organisers don’t seem to be 10 do all this at a time when the bothering themselves”. As it was anti-Unionist population is facing however, the Officials WERE bothering but for the WRONG reasons and certainly not with the internees in mind. They saw the protests as another enormous sop to the Loyalists especially at a time when they are about to field 5 candidates in the Westminster elections and are breaking their necks to attract Loyalist votes where possible. This point can be easily proved. A few days after the second march the Loyalist detainees and internees inside Long Kesh’ stopped their protests after a deal had been done with them by the Authorities over the heads of the Republican prisoners who were still protesting. Immediately the protests organised by the Officials stopped.

They had advised what they wanted.

They had exploited a highly emotional situation to their-own advantage at the expense of men who in the main are members of the ‘Provisionals’. They had done this to court Loyalist opinion and win political credibility among the Unionist ranks. However they had also

CENSORED!

There are many things which aren't reported in the news media. Things which might embarrass the 26 Co.

government and which might embarrass the British Army Press Officer. One of these occurred a fortnight ago. Dublin Airport picked up an emergency “May Day’’ message — from a British Army helicopter on the Louth border. It had been hit by ground fire from the Provisional 1.R.A. and was forced to make a crash landing in a field. Yet not a word was heard about it on radio or T.V. or in the papers.

PERSONAL

INFORMATION?

When a youth was arrested in connection with an arms charge his parents were also lifted and interrogated for several hours.

During the course of the interrogation the Parents were asked about their political persuasions. When both refused to commit themselves, they were informed as to how they had voted over the issue of the Border Referendum in March 1973! Who says that Orwell was a ficticious writer??

PD. BOOKS

“Songs from the Barricades” published by Peoples Democracy, has a selection of 26 of the most popular street ballads based on the lrish struggle up to the present day.

Included are such songs as “Jack Lynch’s Army”, “Bogside Man”, “Broad Black Brimmer”, “Tom Williams’, “‘Over the Wall’’, etc. etc.

Price 25p; or 31p post paid from Connolly Bookshop “Blood in the Street’’ There are only a few copies of this book left. This is an accourtt of the events of Bloody Sunday by two eye witnesses Fulvio Grimaldi and Susan North.

Price 40p; or 48p post paid from Connolly Bookshop “Battle for Algeria’ The story of the Algerian fight for Independence, how the Algerian people won political freedom from the French Colonialists after a long and bitter struggle very stmilar to that which 1s being waged in {reland against Britain to-day The book, written by P_D. member Michael Farrell, concludes with a chapter on the similarities between the Algerian and Irish situations.

Price 15p; or 21p post Paid from Connolly Bookshop. Starry Plough Flags “Behind the Wiré”’ The personal accounts of life in British prison and concentration camps in Northern treland by two members of Peoples Democracy. Phil Mc Cullagh describes the mind-wrecking boredom and terror of the daily routine in Long Kesh where he has : been interned without trail since August 1971. Michael Farrell describes the course of his and Tony Canavan’s hunger strike ordeal in Crumlin Road Jail while sentenced on a trumped up charge of breaking a law that only Orange and UDA men are allowed to break.

Order now from Unfree Citizen sellers or from Connolly.Bookshoo.

“Struggle in the North” The first edition of this pamphlet produced and published by @D.

was issued in 1969, the gecond in 1972. It covers the background to the present conflict in Ireland and deals with the various Stages of the struggle from 1969-197 It 1s essential reading to anyone wishing to understand the present Situation. ric: 15p; or 21p post paid from fannolly Bookshoo FLAGS. Full size ‘Starry Ploughs’ 5’ x 3’ - £1.00

UNFREE CITIZEN

We regret that the Yearly subscription rate to ‘‘Unfree Citizen has been raised to £4.25 per year. This is due to increased paper, printing and postal costs.

For over 5 years now the people of the 26 Counties have been listening to the day by day account of the war going on in the North. Every news bulletin carries an account of some incident which has taken place in an area in one of the 6 Counties. Places like, Andersonstown, The Falls, Bogside, and Creggan are nearly as familiar as O'Connell St., Henry St., Ballyfermot, Coolock etc. to the people in the 26 Counties. But most people in the south have never been to the Falls, the Bogside or Andersonstown.

“Unfree Citizen’ over the next couple of months will be carrying a series of articles on some of the Catholic ghettos at war in the 6 Counties, written by P.D. members living in these areas. This is an attempt to show what life is like in areas where the people have taken up the struggle against British Army occupation and Loyalist terror. It is an attempt to show geographically through the maps and illustrations where these areas are situated in Belfast in relation to Loyalist areas. The Press, Radio and Television in the South are completely controlled by Conor Cruise O’Brien and the Government, therefore the reasons for the war are constantly being hidden and overlooked in the decision by the State to concentrate only on discrediting those who are daily risking their lives ‘in their fight for justice and equality.

The first articles of this series is written about St. James’s which is situated off the Falls Road. St. James’s is a small working class army thugs in whatever way they can.

area just off the Upper Falls Road in It is very fashionable to say that Belfast. It is hemmed in by the M1 the people of the North thrive on motorway in the South which also rubber bullets and riots. It is NOT a separates it from the Loyalist “Willage’” game that is played, people don’t area and the Falls Road to the face up to lethal weapons for nothing; North, Donegall Road to the East children don’t throw stones at the and the Bog Meadows to the West. British Army for nothing. — |f your father or mother, brother or sister, High unemployment are rotting in some British hell-holes This area like all other Catholic ghetto they call prisons, and you have been areas has always had a high exploited and trodden on, then unemployment rate. Like so many every riot and stone become political other depressed areas the people had © weapons. They are a symbol of the resigned themselves to their fate — working classes struggle for justice.

unemployment, emmigration, the crumbs left over by the Orange Ruling Loyalist attacks on St. James's paiymurphy Class. But the years 68’—69 brought — Since ‘69 a number of attacks have =f an end to that frame of mind. The been launched against the area by the I youth were determined not to accept UVF/UDA. The sheer fire power of the servility that their parents had their attacks gives a lie to the British had to. army claim of impartial arms The early civil rights marches searches. During the U.W.C. (Ulster politicised the people of St. James's Workers Councif) Loyalist strike, as indeed it has the people all over arms were openly displayed behind the North. The curtain was torn the erected barricades on the UVF/ from the evil face of Orange UDA side.

politics. They saw before them clearly During these attacks the B.A.s role for the first time, the monster that was to fire into the Catholic area had to be destroyed. The people of St. James’s from behind — thus the St. James’s have played their part Catholics were caught in a cross fire.

in the struggle to do just that. But despite this extra difficulty the area was always successfully Cost of the struggle defended without loss of life.

From the five small streets that comprise the area-almost fifty men Murders and Tragedy are behind bars, some interned, As | write this article the Royal Green others serving jail sentences. This Jackets are moving in for another has been a heavy price to pay for tour of duty in the area. This such a small area but it has not regiment was responsible for a crushed the spirit cf the people — particularly cold-blooded and brutal they continue to resist the daily murder. This was the murder of (hourly) harrassment of the British

young Daniel Rooney as he stood on the street corner with his friend.

An unmarked car with plain clothes soldiers in it shot him to death at point blank range. His friend who was with him was also seriously injured.

The regiment’s commanding officer said that his men were responsible commenting ‘’They got their just deserts’’. Of course the British propaganda machine both in England and the 26 Cos. poured forth the lie that the boys had been armed, but the people of St. James’s know that this was not true. They know murder when they see it and that is what it was. Sectarian murders Sectarian assassins have also murdered two people from St. James’s, both young boys. The first was a youth named Watterson whose mother had a small shop on the Falls Road at the junction with the Donegall Road.

He was standing outside his mothers shop when a car sped past and sprayed the boys with bullets. Young Walterson fell mortally wounded and his friend was also shot and seriously injured. The car sped down the Donegall Road and into the nearby (‘Village’) Loyalist area.

There have been a number of other attempted murders from cags but fortunately no one has been hurt. But it leaves the people in the area living on their nerves, in constant dread of being assassinated. Loyalist gunmen seem to have a free hand to roam Catholic areas heavily armed. The British Army seem to conveniently disappear during the time these outrages are perpetrated but are soon back harrassing the people as is their normal procedure. The other young boy who was murdered in the most ghastly way was called Anthony McGrady. Not long left school Anthony McGrady.

Not long left school Anthony was working in his first job as an apprentice motor mechanic in a small garage on the Cliftonville Road.

The assassin’s entered the garage shot dead Anthony and two other men, then tied their bodies to a car.in which they planted a bomb.

This type of sadistic murder has been the fate of hundreds of { Catholics in Belfast. Murders and “ tortures, so gruesome that the details have never been made public.

The people who carry out these murders are the ‘‘friends” that Some organisations claiming to be socialist and republican, want to talk to and compromise with.

What they would talk about is something that could be wondered about. One other death in the area was that of a young newly married Provisional Republican supporter, Francis Liggett, who was shot dead inside the Royal Victoria Hospital, after a robbery in the hospital.

The Royal Victoria Hospital must have the rare distinction of being the ay only hospital in the world to have more armed scldiers in it than patients. Of course it has always been British policy to build their barracks in schools, hospitals or in densely populated areas. The idea being that they cannot be easily attacked in these places.

er The spirit of St. James's The people of St. James’s have endured much, particularly over the last few years. The daily harrassment goes on day in, day out, designed to wear down and break the spirit of the people. But the spirit of the people in St. James’s, as in all the’ beseiged Catholic areas in Belfast, is a proud, defiant spirit — they will not crack under the pressure and the B.A. now realise that fact.

That once boastful army that came to the North to put down a “‘few troublemakers” have seen that their tactics, which they have used.all over the world, are not working. ° They are a beaten army whose ranks have been depleted by low: recruitment, men buying themselves out, desertions and the pressure is on to withdraw to save face.

St. James’s is an area where people have risen up to fight the injustice that has kept them second class citizens for so long, the people there realise that the system under which they have lived is rotten and must be destroyed. It can be truely said of St. James's that ‘’ Resistance Lives’. wa

THE MOST ABANDONED ©

OF WORKERS

A SERIES ON THEIRISH SMALL FARMER

PART 2 — continued from last week: ee The fate of the country’s farmers since 1900 has been one of slow and painful } exodus. 50% of the population were farming-then, now the figures is around - 24%. A decline in the importance of food, relative to consumer goods with the growth of capitalism, plus Englands policy of cheap food from anywhere in the world, has left small-farmers and farm labourers the longest working and poorest paid section of the entire : Irish working class. ~ At the same time there was the very real demand for food by the workers and by the poor in towns, as there is by half of the world’s population today, but since that demand could not be backed by hard cash it was then, as it is today, futile.

The few. brief periods when the Free State was forced to take into hand the production and distribution of food, during the economic war and the second world war, form an © interesting contrast to the system adopted by Lenin in his book “The economic content of narodism’’, of sharing all the available food, giving priority to children, mothers, the wounded and the ailing — a programme Western civilisation’s priority of which saved the lives of millions of PROFIT not FOOD, it is not surprising people. Contrast that with capitalisms’ that there have been periods of relative system as defined by Boyd-Orr, first boom and severe depression for director general of the F.A.O.:— practically every commodity “The aim of western civilisations produced in agriculture.

is not to produce the quantity of food The spectacle of HUNDREDS OF necessary to satisfy human needs but THOUSANDS OF YOUNG CATTLE rather that which can be sold at a STARVING.TO DEATH over the next profit” few months and thousands of farmers emigrating in mass would be a horrible nightmare, even by Irish standards of emigration and depression. How has Irish farmers demonstrating outside The present crisis Taking Ireland in the context of Book Review Till all the They're ke, The rebel’s But we all For they‘ve Poems of Living, Loving and Dying in Working-Class Ulster So they can Now we will Ulster is ours ySTICE J yor Though the tw And we will ke With all the rat Pt in a place that’s know it’s good enough Their families The wives don’t thi i But their men = iy beg and chant se the E.E.C “Charlemagne” building this situation arisen? What is likely to be its result? And what can socialists do to effect the situation short and long term? The immediate roots of the present situation are set in the ‘Calved Heifer Scheme’ of 1963, the ‘Beef Incentive Scheme’ of 1969 and the entry to the EEC of 1972, all of which encouraged the expansion of cattle numbers.

The result, Irish cattle numbers increased by 6% annually, while the capacity to carry them increased by

ONGKESH

elfth is Past, the fla i ep them flying high, tees rebels are interned ‘ S and all Concerned, oe Called say it's quite a eee Long Kesh, been reared in dirt and Scruff.

are living off the state ‘l have long to wait r a long, long time and rhyme. will be in fo still make Certai i in Nn, without an British, and will always eer.

e South, you men of the green -+ ++ God save the Queen. .

“Love Orange Love Green’, Whitcor Publications. A book of Loyalist and Republican poems.

Why was this book ever published?

The introduction claims that the object has been to “effect some sort of balance between the Loyalist and Republican elements in the present conflict.” After reading this book it can only be said that Mr. McCorry defeated his own purpose. There is no balance between the two communities.

Poems from the Catholic anti-imperialist community reflect the feelings only 1%. 1966 saw the first crisis of supply outstripping demand seriously and farmers on the streets in thousands.

But before the referendum Jack Lynch and the two farming organisations promised “EEC will mean guaranteed higher prices’’, so the numbers of cattle continued to expand.

The position now is that calves can hardly be sold at any price, young cattle are selling from £2 to £8 per cwt, while fat cattle subsidised by £6million per year from the people, still sell at £17 per cwt.! Meanwhile : prices of all the inputs, or farmers costs, have risen enormously.

Big Farmers — EEC policy It is no accident that the producers of fat cattle are in the main the large farmers. By buying the cattle at half of the real value, they are doubling their profits. This is the type of interest which leads the main farming organisations the I.F.A. and I.C.M.S.A. Their main concern in the present crisis is to channel farmers’ reaction into opposition to the prosposed income and wealth tax.

The banks too have had a feast of profits from the skeleton of the starving animal. Vear Advances Profits 71 £m 461 £m 21 72 £m 623 £m 28 73 £m 734 £m 41 * * R. Crotty From the viewpoint of the government and the EEC the market forces are an excellent method of “‘persuading”’ small farmers to leave the land, precisely in line with their farm modernisation scheme which up to now was virtually ignored.

against the Tyranny of British Occupation in Ireland; hatred of internment; a longing for justice and freedom. Yet after countless sectarian murders and over fifty years of oppression by a loyalist administration they have not stooped to the gutter level of the naked hatred in the loyalist poems. ° How can ‘balance’ be achieved?

If we are to take these poems as the feelings of the loyalists and republican communities then we must come to the conclusion that there is nothing but pure fascism in the minds of the loyalists — i.e. “IRA PAPISH SCUM;

“DECIMATE”; “ANNIHILATE”.

The only contribution this book can make is to make very clear to the Catholic minority the very grave danger of a fascist takeover.

If Mr. McCorry was having difficulty in obtaining loyalist poems, he could have obtained a wide variety of hate sheets in Royal Avenue, Belfast, for the total expenditure of 5p.

The only good thing can be said about this book is the excellent layout. Eithna and Gerry O’Kane are to be congratulated. It is a pity such a good work was associated with such trash. To conclude-just what sort of _ warped political thinking is behind the publishers of this book?

_& COALITION

WILL STAND IDLY BY

In a spectacular “‘leak’’ to the press last week Conor Cruise O’Brien hit the headlines with a piece of high-powered propoganda which was quickly labelled a ‘‘Doomsday Document”.

The document was supposed to have been drawn up for the eyes only of the 31 members of the 26 Cos. Labour Party administrative Council to answer points raised in a similar type of document delivered to the same body by the Liaison Committee of the Labour Left last August. The controversial and confidential nature of O’Brien’s ‘leak’ lies in the fact that the ‘‘secret papers’’ contain what O’Brien maintains is the view of the present Coalition government on the Northern situation, particularly in regard to the probability of a Loyalist seizure of State power and a resulting civil war. Somewhere along the line, somebody, (and that somebody does - not exclude Mr. O’Brien himself) revealed the contents of the paper to the National Press where it duly hit the front pages with a bang. O’Brien’s line, ‘““scenario” in current jargon, envisages the likelihood of a Loyalist majority in the Convention Elections in the North, due to take place within the next six months.

With such a clear majority the loyalists could then go ahead and forma “provisional government” and legalise the fascist para-military bodies as the official security forces of the new loyalist state. This new state of affairs would either be agreed to by the British or they would be forced to react by confronting the new security forces with the British Army. In either situation the British would be forced to withdraw, either through lack of political will or lacking the physical capacity to take on these combined Loyalist forces.

Such a withdrawl, says O’Brien, would not be a “’phased”’ operation but a speedy retreat across the Irish sea, leaving the anti-Unionist populatior.

to the tender mercies of the new “B-men”’. lrish Army would sit back If such a thing happened, neither the Irish Army nor the Unitéd Nations would be able to prevent the development of a civil war situation "nor would they afford any protection to the anti-Unionist ghetto areas.

Given all these factors, the 26 Co.

government believes that the best thing to do is to keep their mouths shut and maintain what O’Brien likes to call a “low profile’. The spurious reasoning behind this is that if the 26 Cos. government maintains such a _ ‘low profile’ then it will deflate the’ Loyalists (this is based on the grand assumption that Loyalist power derives solely from their oppsotion to the Free State government) and allow for the emergence of a ‘’non-Loyalist Protestant vote’’ which would be much more amenable to the ““Suningdale-type solution”. O’Brien himself more or less admits this is a bit of a gamble since he provides no proof that even if such a vote ever existed, or still exists, that it does so in sufficient strength to neutralise the Loyalist threat. However, not to be outdone, O’Brien says that if after all this ““keeping mum” and adopting low profiles all over the place, that a Loyalist vote does emerge (something which he admits in his own academic way as a near certainty in the first part of his argument) then what the British should do is to dissolve the Convention and state that there must be power-sharing and no return to the ‘’B”’ Specials — This is the sum total of the O’Brien-Coalition policy on the North! If we are to follow the logic of the Dr.’s own line of argument, then there is scant little different between the British being drawn into a confrontation with a Loyalist Provisional Government (deriving from a Loyalist majority in the Convention) and actually going in and dissolving the Convention which contains that Loyalist majority, who would constitute such a government in all but name.

The distinction between the two lines rests, as does most of O’Brien’s political arguments, on academic or constitutional niceties. Reasons for leaking document If we accept that the end results amount to the same whichever way you look at it, then the weight of O'Brien's argument lies in allowing a Loyalist takeover to happen with a resulting civil war and DO NOTHING ABOUT IT! The ‘leak’ of the document can only have been designed to depress and terrorise people with the fact of a Doomsday situation and using false logic to talk them into thinking that nothing can be done about it. According to O’Brien the best thing is to sit down, keep quiet and keep your fingers crossed!

Since his recent rise to power in the 26 Cos. first as a prominent Labour Party spokesman then as chief ‘guru’ of the Coalition government. Conor Cruise O’Brien has been more than consistent in his pro-imperialist line and furthermore in his stated aim to neutralise and eliminate support for the struggle in the North in the 26 Cos. His whole position is that of an “‘agent provocateur” with the purpose of dropping propoganda bombshells to demoralise potential support for that struggle. By playing on the natural fears of the p2ople about large-scale strife and bloodshed and dispelling any confidence in the ability of anyone to effect such a situation — the politics in his‘secret document’ consist of bowing to a Loyalist state victory before it even manifests itself. Objectively, he must be seen as peddling the same line as those Loyalist politicians and para-military groups themselves.

BRIBERY O

CONSCRIPTION ?

With millions of pounds having been spent on developing the 26 Co. ‘Army’ and with a huge rise in unemployment now taking place the Defence Minister Patrick Sarsfield Donegan, made the amazing statement last weekend that ‘there is no need for any able-bodied young man to be unemployed — he can get a good job in the army”. It seems that Donegan and the coalition

LCR.A. DENIAL

THE DUBLIN COMMITTEE OF THE IRISH CIVIL RIGHTS ASSOCIATION

WISHES TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT DISASSOCIATES ITSELF FROM

THE ICRA (BRITAIN) CAMPAIGN TO RUN CANDIDATES IN THE BRITISH

GrcNERAL ELECTION. WE ARE INFORMED BY OUR EXECUTIVE THAT

THIS ACTION WAS TAKEN WITHOUT CONSULTATION WITH THEM.

are going to tackle the unemployment crisis, and the political unrest all over the country — with enticing many of the unemployed into the army ~ and using the army to silence the protests of the rese.

How long now before we'll have the army used as police against strikes and unemployed — or how long before we have some class of conscription?

The protests and demonstrations of the past few weeks have highlighted what most of us have known for some time — that conditions in Long Kesh Internment Camp are deplorable and that the prisoners’ food is not only inedible but also completely insufficient unless supplemented by food parcels from outside.

However, we are able to report that one group at least is quite content with the present system in Long Kesh and have no desire to see any changes. That group is the legal profession — namely the Long Kesh Commissioners, and the lawyers who ‘represent’ the internees at the farcical showpiece ‘reviews’ of their cases.

The Long Kesh ‘Commissioners’ are judges imported from England and Scotland to give the barbarous system of internment some show of legality and respectability.

They are given huge salaries and free trips home every week, and are also allowed a blank cheque for entertainment during whatever little time they have to spend inside Long Kesh. This is how they have used and continue to use that blaink cheque: * When they first arrived in Long Kesh they found that the dining-room table seated six people (that is the dint; 2g room for the Legal profession etc.). The *¥ immediately bought a table seatin, 9 twenty-six people — and invited th '@ whole of the Officers Mess for drinks!

In three nights lavish entertain emer. 't they spent £600 of public money i.t ?as much as would ‘‘feed” 300 pri. sone ‘rs for a week. * The Long Kesh Commissioners and whiatever Lisburn Army H.Q. friends hap,pen to drop in, drink on average 27 tiottles of brandy per week.

* The Long Kesh Commissioners live on a diet which consists almost exclusively of caviar and avocado pears — yet these are the people who are first to tell you that the prisoners’ badly prepared inedible food is quite sufficient.

The lawyers who represent the internees at the reviews of their cases, do not perhaps live as surnptuously as the Commissioners, but if they don’t it isn’t for want of money.

They, like the Commissioners are imported Englishmen. They are induced to come and work in Long Kesh by the simple expedient of adding a nought to their normal salary. Thiey have been known to earn as

IN CRUMLIN JAI

STRUGGLE CO

One of the places \where the struggle in the 6 Cos. reache’s its height is in ‘A’ wing Crumh'n Road Jail Belfast. Through absclute determination, through the suffering of heroic men, and through the support of a risen people the men and women of ‘A’ wing, of Armagh, Long Kesh ™ and Portlaoise, have won major victories against the state, even when imprisoned. The greatest of these achievements is that of political status — the forcing’ of the state to admit that it holds these men and women because of their political opposition to its rule. But the state did not ,rant this willingly and does not me.1tion it willingly. Through every dav of imprisonment the struggle goes on.

The state continuously in a thousand ‘ different ways trying to destroy the prisoners unity and discipline .and the prisoners beating every attempt back. Inside ‘A’ wing Entry into ‘A’ wing presents an immediate contrast to the main prison. Elsewhere the men are reduced - to identical objects in the drab prison uniform, marched everywhere at the double by aggressive and arrogant screws. The prisoners of ‘A’ wing wear civilian clothes. When they march, it is in their own disciplined formations, not those of the State. On entry you are not catalogued or numbered, but welcomed by the Staff Officers of the prisoners. You then give details of yourself and your arrest, not only to help keep the prisoners informed about the outside world, but to prevent the authorities from planting informers. (They attempt this regularly). Life in ‘A’ wing The first few days in ‘A’ wing are spent adjusting to the surroundings.

They also determine how you will get on with your comrades. Just how quickly you are accepted depends on your reaction to the various practical jokes played on newcomers.

It would spoil the joke to give details, but you usually find yourself revaled in various ridiculous positions to the entire population of ‘A’ wing. Life then becomes a series of routines; lock-up, release from cells, exercise, drill, meals, visits and study. The difference in ‘A’ wing is that many of the routines have been.developed by ° the prisoners to increase their sOlidarity and ability to act together, rat.her than prison routines deve.loped to separate and isolate the prisoner.. A continuous battle Even this ability to organise is not something that the prison authorities accept easily. Under pressure from the Brits, and with the aid of the screws and mainly much as £210 for three hours work; Prosecuting councils earn even more.

Every time a solicitor visits a client in Long Kesh he receives £7, and most solicitors visit up to twelve clients at a time.

And the money is certainly easy. The charge against the defendant is usually very vague, the evidence is hearsay from hidden Special Branchmen or paid informers who cannot be cross-examined, and so a defence is impossible in any case. Needless to say, the supposedly ethical lawyers are tripping over eath other trying to get these profitable jobs. It should be obvious that Long Kesh is sot only inhuman and barbaric, but also e» (tremely corrupt. The Commissioners and so, licitors in Long Kesh, have, for money, giv en their support to the British gove ?rnment in maintaining the evils of intes ment, torture and repressive courts.

Bvt it is important that the endiing of inter, ‘ment and repression should not be seen a: $ Objectives in themselwes.

Internn Vent and repression are only symptcims of the root cause of Ireland's problen.'s — British imperialism and 26-Count'y collaboration.

loyalist ‘trusties’ they continually try to destroy this solid arity. By petty erosion of privileges, by ordering staged provocation by screws, by ~ discreet encouragement: of loyalist hatred, the authorities ‘keep up a continuous hunger strilxe, forcing prisoners to resort to their strongest weapon. An example was the protection against poison, which involves random selection of food from the kitchen and the assistant governor coming to ‘A’ wing to taste tlae food. This elementary protection was only won after several attem pted. poisonings and a long hunger strike. Again, only a hunger strike and rmass support prevented the authorities extending the time spent isolated in the cell.

What we owe If anyone is entitled to the support of the anti-imperialist working classy, it is the Republicans and Socialists imprisoned by the Brits and their collaborators in the 26 Counties. Even prison can be used by revolutionaries to deepen their understanding and increase their discipline, solidarity and dedication to the struggle.

The prisoners have suffered deeply to win political status, the minimum conditions in which they are still able to organise together. They are under continuous pressure and dependent on the continued care and support of the people outside. It is up to us to make sure that they get this. If you are interested in joining the People’s Democracy and fighting for a 32-County Socialist Republic, fill in the form below.and send it to: Belfast: CONNOLLY BOOKSHOP, AVOCA PARK,

ANDERSONSTOWN RD.,BELFAST 11.

London: P.DOHERTY, 134 - 136 KINGSLAND HIGH ST.,

LONDON , E8.

TINUES

LONG KESH MONIEY RACKET S.D.L.P &

COONEY

back ‘Two Nations In the last three weeks we have seen further evidence of the total retreat of the Catholic middle-class politicians from the threat of loyalist reaction. Mr. Paddy Duffy of the SDLP speaking at a meeting in Cookstown, declared that as far as he was concerned, a United Ireland was “’a million light years away”. He also called for the 26 Co. government to recognise the 6 County state.

Mr. Paddy Cooney, Minister for ‘Justice’ in the Dublin government, promptly leapt up to prove that when it cames to licking loyalist/boots, he would not be outdone.

He declared that as an act of conciliation to the loyalists, he was in favour of amending articles 2 & 3 of the Southeri Constitution — which contain the meaningless clauses claiming that the ‘Republic’ has jurisdiction over the 6 Cos.

Although such a change would in practice mean nothing, the political reasoning behind such moves must be challenged. It indicates a complete reluctance to face up to the facts of life in this country. The Loyalists are intent on bringing back full-scale loyalist power in the North.

No amount of meaningless gestures from the 26 Cos. or from the SDLP will change this. The only way to treat such a threat is to face up to it. The anti-Unionist population must not be beaten in such an onslaught. 26 Co.

workers must prepare to ensure that adequate supplies of essential materials for food and defence are available for the Catholic minority ghettoes in the North.

STOP THE RETREAT !

PREPARE NOW !

THE PEOPLES DEMOCRACY |

— What we stand for The People’s Democracy is a revolutionary socialist organisation, fighting for the establishment of a 32-County Workers Republic in Ireland. In that fight we have learned through our experience of the struggle in the. North that there can be no progress made until. the age-old problem of the domination and exploitation of Ireland by British imperialism is settied.

We therefore support the war .

of resistance against British contro} in the North and have agitated and will continue to agitate, to hack up that war — north-and south.

Because both states, north and south, are capitalist controlled we recognise that the 26-Ce. government ~ and indeed all the Leinster House Politicians — support Britain in the continuation of partition in Ireland and actively promote this by their policy of repression in the 26 Cos.

Consequently we see that the Struggle for National Liberation and Socialism must be fought here as well.

Our activity is based on our.

experience and Marxist analyses of the situation in Ireland. We consider the anti-imperialist struggle should be fought to gain the support of the working-class people of Ireland and the People’s Democracy pledge themselves to achieving through.

the struggle for National Liberation — a Workers Republic of Ireland.

Pa