740A.13/3–2251
Memorandum by the Secretary of State to the President
Subject: Visit with the Irish Minister for External Affairs
The Irish Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Sean MacBride, has an appointment to see you at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, March 23. I will be present during the interview.
Mr. MacBride has been on an unofficial visit to the United States since March 10. The primary purpose of his trip was to address the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick at Philadelphia on St. Patrick’s [Page 519] Day. An official luncheon presided over by Under Secretary Webb was given in honor of Mr. MacBride at Prospect House.1
It is anticipated Mr. MacBride’s appointment will be in the nature of a courtesy call. In the course of the conversation, however, Mr. MacBride may refer to the Irish partition issue, Irish defense requirements, ECA aid to Ireland, and the civil aviation issue.
It might prove highly embarrassing to our relations with the United Kingdom if announcement were made that the Partition Issue had been discussed. Therefore it is suggested that this subject be avoided if possible, but if it should be introduced it is recommended that you state that this Government is fully cognizant of the problem and its implications. The United States hopes for continued improvement of relations between the United Kingdom and Ireland but cannot intervene in this issue between two friendly Governments.
With reference to Irish defense requirements you may wish to state that this Government continues its readiness to welcome Ireland as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (as expressed in NSC 83/1). If this is not possible for the Irish Government, the United States will consider Irish requests for purchase of arms in the light of priorities of United States defense requirements and North Atlantic Treaty and other mutual defense commitments.
We have informed the Irish Government of our desire to enter into negotiations looking toward the suspension of direct ECA assistance. The British Government has also been notified of this intention since Ireland obtains its dollars from the sterling dollar pool. In this connection you may wish to remark that you have noted with pleasure the remarkable economic recovery of Ireland and the success of the European Recovery Plan in Ireland. You may also wish to congratulate Mr. MacBride for his part as delegate from Ireland in the Organization of European Economic Cooperation.
You may wish to remind Mr. MacBride that we have been trying unsuccessfully for years to secure permission from the Irish Government to operate an air service between New York and Dublin, and express the hope that the necessary permit will soon be granted.
[Page 520]It is suggested that you seek Mr. MacBride’s assent of a release to the press along the lines of the attached enclosure.2 Its primary purpose is to avoid mention of the Partition issue.
- Documentation on this luncheon, as well as on MacBride’s conversation with White House Assistant W. Averell Harriman on March 22, is in file 740A.13. In his meeting with Harriman, MacBride raised the same general subjects covered in his conversation with President Truman on March 23 (see the memorandum, infra), discussed continued U.S. support of the OEEC, and spoke of discussions in recent years between Ireland and Spain on religious matters.↩
- For text, see Department of State Bulletin, April 9, 1951, p. 575.↩