841D.01/343
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of British Commonwealth Affairs (Hickerson)
| Participants: | Mr. Robert B. Stewart |
| Mr. John D. Hickerson | |
| Mr. Robert Brennan, Irish Minister |
Mr. Brennan called this afternoon on his own initiative to discuss developments in connection with the American request for the removal of Axis representatives from Ireland.
Mr. Brennan stated that he is at a loss to understand how the American request could have been made since our security people have been aware of the situation in Ireland and have expressed their satisfaction with the precautionary measures taken by the Irish Government. He read from a statement which he had apparently received from Dublin, to the following effect: Some time in 1943, a Colonel Bruce, stated to be our security officer in London, came to Dublin with a Mr. “X” who was put in touch with the Irish security people. After a time Mr. “X” returned to London, stating his satisfaction that the Irish Government was taking adequate security measures. Mr. Brennan said he could only conclude that the State Department is not informed of American security activities.
Recently, Mr. Brennan added, the Irish officials have expressed their willingness to cooperate with American security officials and to have an American security official stationed permanently in Dublin. Mr. Brennan thought that the American Government should accept this offer.
Mr. Brennan stated that he understood that we were preparing a documented reply to the Irish note and that he or his Government thought it would be very bad if we should use, as a basis for our charges, information which has been given to American security officers by Irish officials. Mr. Hickerson told Mr. Brennan that we would not use such information in this way.
Mr. Brennan asked whether we thought that the Secretary or the President would be willing to issue a statement to the effect that Ireland was now cooperating with us in all essential matters.
Mr. Brennan was told in reply that we believed that so long as the Axis representatives remained in Ireland, the Secretary or the [Page 245] President would find it impossible to issue such a statement. As regards the cooperation on security matters, while our service authorities might accept this offer of cooperation on the part of the Irish Government, it was seriously doubted that they would regard this as going far enough. In other words, the removal of the Axis diplomats was the only thing which would satisfy this Government that the Irish Government was cooperating fully.
Mr. Brennan said that he felt in view of this that he would be forced to issue here or the Irish Government should issue in Dublin a statement to the effect that Ireland had offered to cooperate on security, that American security officers had expressed their satisfaction with the measures being taken by Ireland and that the Irish Government could only conclude that the State Department is not informed of the true state of affairs. Mr. Hickerson told Mr. Brennan that should such a statement be issued, we would then be forced to say that the original request for the removal of Axis diplomats had been cleared all the way to the top with our military authorities including the Joint Chiefs of Staff themselves and that they are surely informed about the danger in Ireland.