Army in Ulster
For all that his forthrightness has almost certainly earned him a heavy rebuke from his political masters, General Sir Frank King, General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland, is to be praised for his speech the other day in which he expressed concern about any increase in the rate of release of political detainees in Ulster. As might have been expected, pusillanimous politicians of various hues, and notably Mr James Wellbeloved, the Labour member for Erith and Crayford, have been sent into a twitter of annoyance by Sir Frank's remarks; but that is all the more evidence added to the weight already on his side. The plain facts remain that acceleration of the rate of release will merely restore terrorists to freedom and the streets, and all the good work the army has done will thus be dishearteningly undone. As Lord Carrington used to say the vital thing to protect in Ulster is the army's high morale, for without that there can be no prospect of safety. And army morale and good temper is not likely to be improved by the spectacle of a new wave of killers released on to already troubled streets.
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