841D.01/267: Telegram

The Minister in Ireland ( Gray ) to the Secretary of State

48. Have received no confirmation from you of announcement made by British Broadcasting Company that the story of the American note requesting the withdrawal of Axis representations had broken. Irish Government much concerned. I called Winant at 8 this evening. At that time he only knew that he had no confirmation of story. At 9 he telephoned me saying that the Department had telephoned him that the story had broken in London and that the Secretary was confirming the story and issuing the American note24 with the comment that a negative reply had been received. We are much embarrassed at not having been able to give Irish Government advance notice of this course especially as I had given them reason to believe that we had no desire or intention to publish the notes at this time. I have just told the Permanent Secretary for External Affair 3 of the decision of the Secretary and he is much disturbed at the prospect of publishing the American note and not the text of the reply at the same time. I have told him that I would telegraph you in clear to this effect. I have made clear to him our belief that the story broke in Dublin as a result of divulgence here. At time of filing have received no communication from you.

Gray
  1. Released to the press on March 10, 1944; text printed in Department of State Bulletin, March 11, 1944, p. 235.