841D.01/271: Telegram
The Minister in Ireland ( Gray ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 16—1:50 a.m.]
56. For Secretary and Under Secretary. Extremely apprehensive as to effect of Churchill’s statement yesterday on situation here. De Valera’s newspaper has seized upon it as evidence of conspiracy to isolate Eire in spirit of reprisal rather than from military necessity. It would have been better, we think, to have had no statement but the bare announcement of the necessary defensive measures. … Thus far our hand has been well played and we can justly claim to be aggrieved party. We must not lose this position. The President’s farsighted view that the approach and conduct of this negotiation should be from military standpoint has proved very sound. Whatever has to be done in future should be out of military necessity which is understood here and not resented. It would be most helpful if he would explain to the Prime Minister the desirability from the American viewpoint of maintaining the position of the aggrieved party. The British representative concurring this view. He is very anxious. We strongly urge against any further note warning [Page 241] De Valera of his responsibility in case of leakage of military information from Eire at present. He was bluntly warned of this responsibility by me in my conversation with him on February 29 as reported in my telegram No. 36 dated March 1st. This warning was reduced to writing and became part of the [apparent omission] recording the memorandum of that conversation which I furnished him at his request dated March 2. This is part of despatch No. 819 of March 633 now in transit and can be utilized and amplified by you when desirable.
We heartily support your view that there should be neither reprisal spirit nor bullying of one from the Government. The general condemnation of De Valera by our press will have its effect without our taking further official measures.
What we need now are more assurances in a spirit of sorrow rather than anger, and time to cool out. That is why I think it most important to be authorized to announce here the release of the materials for the sugar company.
We must defend ourselves against De Valera’s political strategy by playing to the man in the street and giving this Legation a popular standing as a friend of the Irish people. Otherwise we may find ourselves confronted by a serious situation in which all classes of political opinion will be united by a lunatic fanaticism and resolved to die rather than give an inch. You know better than I the consequences of such a situation on the Irish-American front.
The Government has today placed a guard on the Legation and assigned me an escort car of armed detectives. I believe the primary purpose of this is political. They wish to make us believe that our action has aroused public indignation to danger point. I have written a personal letter to the Minister of Justice pointing out that in fact there is no danger at all; that I went about unguarded without any change in kindly public attitude at the time when troops were standing to all night and everybody was waiting for American forces to invade on the strength of the rumors emanating from De Valera. I also pointed out that it was unthinkable that an American Minister should need an armed guard in Ireland and that when the story broke in America as it certainly would it would be exaggerated and most damaging to Eire. I offered to call on him and discuss the matter. He is the best man in the Cabinet. I will report outcome.
Repeated to London.
- Not printed.↩