Northern Ireland
During the month of March, the British Government put proposals to the Northern Ireland Government aimed at reducing tension in that land and to pave the way for a settlement. The proposals were so radical that they left the Northern Ireland Government with no alternative but to resign. In these circumstances the British Government suspended the Stormont Parliament for a year and assumed full control of Northern Ireland, appointing a Minister to take charge.
From the very beginning of the troubles in Northern Ireland it was clear that the Protestants in that country could expect little sympathy from the Government at Whitehall. A Government which in composition is singularly lacking in religious sentiment could not be expected to understand a situation which was essentially religious in origin. There is also to be taken into account the fact that the Roman Catholic Church has successfully blinded the minds of political leaders in our day to its evil influence and intrigue in national and world politics.
It is no wonder, then, that the so-called “new initiative” merely conceded some of the demands of the I.R.A while it produced the suspension of the Northern Ireland Government—a major victory for the I.R.A. What the eventual outcome will be remains to be seen but the situation will require vigilance on the part of the Protestants if they are not to be robbed of their liberties. They are deserving of our sympathy and prayers. Let them put no confidence in the fickle political leaders of our day but let them put their trust in the Lord who is able to help them and deliver them out of the hand of their enemies.