The decision to end Internment within the next few weeks has been part of the sace propagnada campaign. Far from this flowing directly out of the present situation it is designed to help Whitelaw keep control of this situation Internment was one of the worst failures which British Imperialism has suffered in Ireland The internees could have been released long ago, and internment chrown into the dusthin of history along with the gun-boat and Colonel Blimp. Two factors delayed this the likely effects on the Protestant extremists; and the usefulness of the internees as political hostages, who could be traded off in an effort to buy good will from the Catholie population As Whitelaw is now playing the card of an end to internment it is because he has very few cards left to play, and bas staked a lot on a very risky gamble.
CONFERENCE AND COMPROMISE Whitelaw plans for a conference in Sepramber that will come out with some kind of compromise solution to the crisis in the North, which will then be used to try and fraginent the support for the IRA in the catholic gliettos, isolating the IRA and permitting the British army to get on top of the 'terrorists The cagerness with which the SDLP bas accepted his plans means that this solution will be pushed forward with great vigour in the next weeks. But already problems are developing for Whitelaw. Since he desires to strengthen the middle class centre of Northern Trish politics he is calling a curference of those parties which were represented at Stormont: but Stormont at the time of direct rule was completely unrepresentative of the political changes which have swept the North since the last Six County general election. Completely new political formations have heen thrown up since chen: the Unionist Party has heen Iretrievably shattered; the SDLP bas been stit ched together out of a group of individual Catbolic politicians; and the Provisional Republican movement has gained mass support from the benority.
SDL.P's Fume with friend: abnost ari in arm Atready the pressure is on to extend the basis of the conference. lan Paisley took advantage of che cancellation of the Apprentice Boys of Derry Walk to call an "unofficial walk which h then addressed with a call for a united loynlist voice to be heard at the talks. The Loyalist Association of Workers has been making noise:
about the unrepresentative nature of a confer ence which does not include the new and powerful Protestant organisations which nave sprung up in the last few months. On the otber Flank, Paddy Kennedy, the Republican Labour Party Stormon: MP. lias demanded a seat at the table for hoth sections of the Rep ublican movenient.
PROTESTANT PRESSURE Whitelaw's plans to swing a section of the Catholic minority behind the SDLP through ending internment might conceivably succeed provided he can maintain stabilicy. Bur by his own actions he has ensuredthat an important factor of instability will continue. The invasion of the free arcas has cased off pressure from the Protestant right, but the incident which led to that invasion - the clash in Lenadoon Avenue - merely ensured that simi ar pressure would be re-exerted if the confer ence should propose any real erosion of the Protestant ascendancy. And if Whitelaw yield to pressure from the representatives of the mass of the Protestants then he will ensure that the conference will be unable to propose any solation which will brenk up the unity of the minority. On top of the threat from the Orange ultris, the Provisionals coul escalate their military struggle to a level whie would exacerbate the crisis, and make the holding of the conference very difficult.
It is because the basic contradictions within the Six County state continue that we can forecast the likel hood of continuing crisis and struggle. And despite the propaganda fro the British preas it is necessary not to permit the de escalation of the soldanty movement in Britain. It is precisely at times like the pre ent that continuous, patient activity is neede