841D.01/236: Telegram
The Minister in Ireland (Gray) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:13 p.m.]
17. Reference your 13, February 3.8 Unreservedly approve your changes in draft. I studied text yesterday with Maffey9 who will recommend it to his Government. We agree in view that because of [Page 219] American High Command and predominance of American troops in Ulster the note should be American but that English Government should at time of delivery inform Eire Government that they have been consulted and desire to associate themselves with the note. In order to forestall opportunity for De Valera to spread on record his sequestering of the German Legation radio sending set suggest that reference to radio sets be phrased explicitly to show the intention of the German Government to use this means of communication. I would therefore suggest a full stop after the words “sending set” and finish the paragraph as follows: “This is evidence of the intention of the German Government to use this means of communication. Supporting evidence is furnished by the two parachutists equipped with radio sending sets recently dropped on your territory by German planes.”
I note that the strictly confidential introduction to your number 13 came in brown as well as text of note.
Appreciate your efforts to minimize delay in this matter.
Repeated to London.