711.00 Statement July 16, 1937/223
The Chargé in the Irish Free State (Armstrong) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 20.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my telegram No. 38 of August 7, 8 p.m., transmitting the statement received from the Department of External Affairs containing the comment of the Government of the Irish Free State on the statement of the Secretary of State made on July 16, 1937, and to enclose herewith, as a matter of record, a copy of [Page 777] the note containing this comment. There are also enclosed copies of an Aide-Mémoire of July 23, 1937, left in this connection at the Department of External Affairs on that date, and of a note addressed on August 5, 1937,16 to Mr. Sean Murphy, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Department of External Affairs, which was sent to him on receipt of the Department’s circular cable of August 4, 1 p.m., requesting me to inform the Foreign Office that it would be a source of disappointment if a statement from the Irish Free State Government could not be included in the first publication of the comments on the Secretary’s statement.
It is regretted there was delay in securing the statement from Mr. De Valera, but when this matter first came up it was brought to the immediate attention of Mr. Murphy. I kept in touch with Mr. Murphy and knew that this matter was receiving the consideration of President De Valera. Also on one or two occasions, when I met Ministers in the Government, I was aware that the Secretary’s statement was being discussed. The Military Attaché was invited to call on the President on August 4th, and at my suggestion, led up to the subject of the Secretary’s statement. Nothing tangible resulted, and I had the feeling all the time possible must be accorded to Mr. De Valera to formulate his opinion, or nothing would result.
On receipt of the Department’s second cable, I nevertheless felt it necessary to ask for an interview with Mr. De Valera and had an opportunity to talk with him for half an hour on August 6, 1937. The impression gained was that Mr. De Valera was sincerely interested in the principles elucidated by the Secretary, but he immediately introduced a note of pessimism that anything practical could be accomplished, touching on such outstanding problems as the former colonies of Germany. I emphasized the Secretary was primarily seeking some norm for international relations. The President seemed to feel that existing injustices must first be cleared up, that no new norm was necessary beforehand, etc. I did not consider it wise to enquire whether he meant existing injustices to the Irish Free State or not, but possibly these were paramount in his mind. At the same time he appeared to realize the importance of making some expression of opinion on principles with which he was in sympathy, and promised me a statement the next day.
In the course of our conversation, Mr. De Valera revealed the fact that he was planning in the next few weeks to visit Geneva for the purpose of keeping in touch with the League of Nations, which, he emphasized, has always been somewhat negligent in considering the needs of the smaller nations. Mr. De Valera must be in Dublin for [Page 778] the opening of the Dail on October 6, 1937, so that the trip to Switzerland will only be a short visit. Quite incidentally, knowing that the President, after a long, hard year was in need of a vacation, I asked him if he ever thought of visiting in the United States for a holiday. The President told me he would very much like to go to the United States again but that such a visit would entail upon him the necessity of seeing many of his Irish-American friends all over the United States, which would not give him much rest. It occurred to me that Mr. De Valera would not mind going on a semi-official visit to the United States, which would give him an excuse to avoid the entanglements of his friends and adherents in the United States, but as I had no way of knowing if the Secretary would welcome a visit from him at the present time, I dropped the subject.
It is my very definite impression that while Mr. De Valera is sincerely sympathetic with the principles enunciated in the Secretary’s statement, his pessimism of practical accomplishment is so deep that it will take some time and evidence of results to overcome his feelings. At the start of my interview, he remarked that it was his opinion that the totalitarian states such as Italy, Germany and Japan would be among the first to send enthusiastic endorsements. So far, the records have not revealed that this has been the case. I will send all information received at the Legation regarding the comments of the various nations on the Secretary’s statement to Mr. Murphy with the request that it be sent on to the President, but at present I am waiting until the Free State’s comments are included.
Respectfully yours,
- Neither printed.↩