January 1 1975
To say that the eleven-day truce has created a feeling of general goodwill is not straining words. To say that everybody wants a prolongation of the ceasefire is not straining reality, either.
With only a few hours to go, the prospects of the truce holding are bright. The constant invocation of “peace” since the truce began has restored calm to a troubled situation. And the activities of the Church leaders bent on effecting reconciliation between contending sides have been of tremendous value in creating a will to peace.
They have already seen Mr [Merlyn] Rees at Stormont and were in London last night for talks with Mr [Harold] Wilson, who was joined by Mr Rees. The Churchmen’s desire has been to reflect feelings here, the sort of feelings that are unlikely to reach Mr Rees, much less Mr Wilson, through normal channels.
The recent dialogue of other Church representatives with the Provisional IRA at Feakle was a beginning. It undoubtedly led to the ceasefire decision.
As we step over into the New Year, there is a confidence that the truce can be extended for a further period.
Mr Rees’s own response to the ceasefire has, necessarily, been cautious; and his releases are unlikely to set the Kesh on fire – if the metaphor can be forgiven.
What has emerged from the Secretary of State’s recent statements is the assurance that in the event of a permanent cessation of hostilities, he will quickly determine how the British Army would make “a planned, orderly and progressive reduction in its present commitments in the north”; and that further releases of men detained without trial would also become progressive.
This is some departure from the general line he has hitherto taken. The ceasefire has, in a sense, induced a responsive note from Mr Rees. He must be hoping that his essential message has not been lost on those at the head of the Provisional IRA who decided on the 11-day truce in response to the overtures at Feakle.
The establishment of peace is necessary for an objective examination of political arrangements for the future of this area. The possibility of turning the present truce into a permanent one is in most minds. Much will depend on whether Mr Rees’s statements are considered by the IRA to be positive rather than non-committal.
Irish News editorial offering hope for the new year that a temporary ceasefire brokered with the IRA in December 1974 would become a permanent one.
