Lynch calls for Christmas truce

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32779, 2 December 1971, Page 15

Lynch calls for Christmas truce

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) DUBLIN, November 30. The Prime Minister of Ireland (Mr Jack Lynch) called on the outlawed Irish Republican Army (LRA.) tonight to impose a Christmas truce on itself in Northern Ireland, and asked the British Army to withdraw from the streets of Belfast and Londonderry.

“I believe they could do it, and I believe it would be to the credit of the I.R.A. to establish that they could impose a truce and withdraw,” he said. “Let the people in the North live a reasonably normal life at Christmas, but above, all,, let the; political means of finding a solution have a chance,” Mr Lynch said.

Mr Lynch made his truce appeal during an interview on Irish National Television Mr Lynch said that the

I.R.A. was causing “havoc" to reunification aspirations of the republic. “I rule out violence for the attainment of any cause —violence which not only makes that cause more difficult to attain, but also lengthen the period in which it can be achieved,” he said. "At the moment the I.R.A are operating in the six counties (Northern Ireland) allegedly for the purpose of reuniting the country. I believe the 1.R.A., by their campaign is postponing that day. Every bomb that is exploded, every innocent life that is taken postpones the day that we can achieve reunification," Mr Lynch said. He added: “I am not suggesting that all bombs or all lives taken are the activities of the 1.R.A.” Mr Lynch said that he accepted recent proposals by the British Opposition Leader (Mr Harold Wilson) as the basis for negotiation. "There were, of course, some things in the proposals which would be unacceptable,” he added. He cited Mr Wilson’s suggestion that a united Ireland might rejoin the British Commonwealth as one of the unacceptable proposals. Mr Wilson, in a speech in the British House of Commons on November 25, called for inter-partv talks in Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic to be followed by Governmental discussions to establish a constitutional commission representing all major parties in the three Parliaments.

Mr Wilson said that such a commission could discuss an eventual united Ireland.