Sir, - We were shocked to read that no Aosdana member present at the special Aosdana meeting last week supported Maire Mhac an tSaoi's motion to condemn Francis Stuart's "sentiments and opinions" as expressed by him on Channel 4, and to call for his resignation. Even if the meeting was chaotic, as reported, the issue at hand has been clear all along.
The question still remains: should Francis Stuart have been honoured by Aosdana, considering that he worked as a broadcaster/propagandist during the Nazi regime? For anyone who lived in Germany at that time, as we did, any person working for the Ministry of Propaganda had to be an active Nazi sympathiser.
As far as we know Francis Stuart has never clarified his position adequately, nor shown any remorse. No-one wants to persecute an elderly man, whose years in Germany represent only a very sort time in his life. It is his lack of regret, or expression of regret, that is incomprehensible in the light of what happened during the Holocaust.
Surely it is not too late for Francis Stuart to make his position clear and for the members of Aosdana to reconsider their attitudes in a less heated atmosphere.
Andreas Roth, in his informative letter (December 1st) stated clearly how to get access to Stuart's transcribed broadcasts, the majority of which are stored in Cathal Brugha Military Barracks. - Yours, etc.,
Munny House, Tullow, Co Carlow.