841D.01/278

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of British Commonwealth Affairs (Hickerson)

At 10:20 this morning I telephoned to the Irish Minister and in his absence talked to Mr. Sean Nunan, Counselor of the Legation, about one aspect of a press statement of Mr. Brennan in this morning’s papers carried by the Associated Press. I read the paragraph in question to Mr. Nunan from the Washington Post as follows:

“He said President Roosevelt’s 1942 ‘no invasion’ of Ireland promise was reaffirmed when the Irish Minister called at the State Department shortly after David Gray, American Minister to Dublin, delivered the United States note. At that time Brennan said he was told neither military nor ‘other measures’ would be taken to put pressure on Ireland.”

I recalled to Mr. Nunan that I was the person with whom Mr. Brennan had talked on February 26 and that I had informed Mr. Brennan that our note was not in the nature of an ultimatum and that no use of military force against Ireland was contemplated. I continued that I had also stated that the assurances which the President gave Prime Minister de Valera early in 1942 still stand. I added, however, that I had said nothing whatsoever about “other measures”. I went on to say that I was calling this to the Legation’s attention in the interests of accuracy. I added that in so doing I was not stating that “other measures” would be taken; nor had I any suggestions as to whether Mr. Brennan should take any action in regard to this inaccuracy.

I recalled further to Mr. Nunan that following my conversations with Mr. Brennan on February 26 Mr. Stewart25 and I had dictated a memorandum of this conversation immediately, which Mr. Stewart had read to Mr. Brennan over the telephone. Mr. Brennan agreed that this represented an accurate description of the conversation. I informed Mr. Nunan that I had this memorandum in front of me and that the memorandum was as recited above and said nothing about “other measures” which might be taken to put pressure on Ireland. I added again that my calling this inaccuracy to his attention had nothing whatever to do with whether or not “other measures” would be taken.

John Hickerson
  1. Supreme Allied Commander (Mediterranean Theater).