Madam, – I am sorry that my letter of February 25th about Dr Eduard Hempel prompted David Peter Fine (February 28th) to suggest that my “remarks in supporting former Nazis [sic] contribute to Ireland’s shameful record of courting the Nazis in power at the time through our own Ambassador in Berlin . . .”. Ireland had no ambassador in Berlin and the minister who showed approval for the regime was recalled for that very reason: nothing shameful there for Ireland.
Whether Dev’s controversial call on Dr Hempel was a faux pas is debatable. I believe his mistake was that he did not sympathise with the American minister, or did not do so publicly, on FDR’s death a few weeks previously. As for Dev’s “dismal record” on saving Jews, “this otherwise great country of ours” should regret that he did not do more, but with emigration in full flow and an economic war with Britain during most of the period, circumstances were unfavourable.
I agree that Dr Hempel ought to have resigned when pressured to join the Nazi party, but not all of us are endowed with heroic virtues. He had no need to use the “classical excuse” that he followed orders: he was not accused of war crimes. – Yours, etc,