July 14th, 1950:THE POST-second World War period was anything but peaceful. Many feared that it was a matter of when, not if, the cold war turned into a worldwide conflict, and the Korean War that began in June 1950 was seen by some as the first step. Such widely-held expectations lay behind this front page report of exchanges in the Dáil in 1950.
Everything was being done to prepare for civil defence quietly and unostentatiously, so as not to disturb the civilian population and put it in a state of jitters, declared Dr [TF] O’Higgins, Minister for Defence, in the Dáil yesterday.
There had been no blowing of bugles, but the work had been going on quietly, he stated, and the Government had no fear that if war came, the country would be short of trained men.
The Minister was replying to allegations by Mr Éamon de Valera, leader of the Opposition, that the Government had failed to organise civilian defence or make preparations for food and fuel supplies to meet any danger.
During the debate on the Estimate for the Taoiseach’s department, Mr de Valera said that Fianna Fáil had been urging the Government to realise that there was a dangerous situation ahead. It had been obvious to anybody, from the attitude of some of the great powers, that they had not reached peace.
One had only to look at the situation in eastern Asia to see what could happen. If a conflict had really begun there was no predicting the end of it.
This country, he asserted, should consider what measures it could take to survive a conflict. He did not think the Government had taken any steps to meet the situation or to bring the Army up to the minimum strength necessary, to organise and officer the Army in a time of emergency.
The Government ought also to build up the FCA and organise civilian defence.
If there was a war, the Taoiseach and his colleagues would be held responsible by the Irish people for failure to take the steps that should be taken, declared Mr de Valera. There was no use putting arms into men’s hands if the men had no training and experience. If samples of weapons could be obtained, then they could be trained, so that if arms came our way we would be able to defend ourselves.
Partition was a paralysing problem for everyone thinking in terms of national defence, Mr de Valera said. If it were not there, it might be possible to frame a policy so that this country might do as other small countries had done and combine in common defence, but this was out of the question for us . . .
Dr O’Higgins, Minister for Defence, said the Government was not pessimistic, and believed that the best injection to instil into the people was one of hope and confidence.
The present leader of the Opposition, he declared, had preached nothing but war since within two months of the change of Government [in 1948]. When Taoiseach, he had been cutting down the Army estimates.
During the war the Army varied between 35,000 and 60,000 men. Though they never fired a shot in anger, these men, including 2,000 officers, were trained. They had been demobilised, and today this country had up to 40,000 of the best young men, soldiers by inclination, completely trained.
As well as these, there were vast numbers of young men who were trained in both theory and practice of war with other armies and had now returned home.
If war came, the Government had no fear that the country would be short of trained men . . . “It is nonsense to be putting men into uniform before they are required,” he declared.