Sir, - Extensive coverage of new books about or by Roger Casement in The Irish Times of October 14th prompts three comments.
First, though Angus Mitchell's article has much to recommend it, his contention that either he or Dr Sawyer (his rival editor) must be right on the issue of forgery seems too simple to meet all of the possible explanations. For example, in addition to forgery by way of fabrication, there always exists the possibility of falsifying material by the removal or suppression of those parts which in some specific way direct an interpretation of the remainder.
Second, a focus upon the single question of authenticity tends to conceal the vast range of issues involved - African and Amazonian anthropology, Hiberno-German relations, the growth of British Intelligence services, homophobia, Irish cultural nationalism, anti-slavery campaigns, the Easter Rising of 1916, the economics of Belgian imperialism, the course of the Great War, capital punishment and legal definitions of treason. Finally, there are theoretical questions raised by the terms authenticity, authorship, origination and so forth.
To clarify matters somewhat, Goldsmiths College hopes to organise a one-day colloquium on Casement in February 1998 under the auspices of a new Centre for Cultural Studies. All interested in attending should contact the undersigned. - Yours, etc., Bill McCormack, Professor of Literary History,
Goldsmiths College,
New Cross,
London SE14 6NW.