The IRA's assassination campaign against businessmen in Northern Ireland in 1977 impacted on the British government's attempt to sell the region in the US.
The background was the murder of Jeffrey Agate, an English-born manager of the Du Pont factory in Derry by the IRA on February 2nd of that year. A month later, James Nicholson, a Yorkshire PR executive, was shot dead while visiting a factory in West Belfast.
An IRA statement claimed that the businessmen had "attempted to stabilise the North's economy to serve British interests".
The issue of the murders became acute during an investment tour of the US by the NIO economy minister Don Concannon in March 1977. The minister planned to visit four US companies during the trip in New York, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. "These were companies," an official wrote, "with which the department (of Development) was in active touch with with a view to wooing their early investment in Northern Ireland."
A confidential memo by R C Masefield, an official to the secretary of state Roy Mason, noted that Concannon was due to take part in a television programme in Los Angeles and to address a lunch for 150 guests on the Northern Ireland economy.
He added: "It may be, however, that in view of the death of Mr Agate and the publicised campaign by the IRA against businessmen in Northern Ireland, that Mr Concannon will be advised to visit certain other companies. The Department of Commerce are seeking urgent advice from their representative in New York on this subject."
The official added that the RUC would propose to send a two-man escort with the minister to the US. He would also require "defensive briefings" on such subjects as "US gun-running, Noraid, etc".
On the question of an RUC escort, a NIO official, ER Jolly, replied on March 1st, 1977, that this proposal followed a precedent set by a previous minister, Stanley Orme, during his US tour in 1976. "You may wish to be aware that this built-in escort increased Mr Orme's 'tail' to a degree bordering on embarrassment."
Meanwhile, the Agate murder moved Robert Ramsey, a Stormont official, to suggest that the minister should pay a reassurance visit to Du Pont in the US.
The negative impact of the businessman's murder in the US continued to concern government officials. On March 11th, 1977, Pam Kenneally, Concannon's private secretary, wrote to Ken Stowe, private secretary to British prime minister James Callaghan, seeking the PM's approval for Concannon's US tour. She stressed the importance of his visit to reassure Du Pont following recent events. "Following Mr Agate's murder last month and the publicity given to the PIRA campaign against businessmen, a ministerial visit is needed to give reassurance to both potential and existing American investors. Mr Agate's death may, in particular, have placed in jeopardy a potential investment of £24 million at Du Pont's Londonderry plant."
Concannon was due to visit the US for a week but was forced to cut his visit short due to a House of Commons vote.