No. 708
Editorial Note

On the afternoon of January 8, just before leaving Dublin for consultation in Washington, Ambassador Matthews called on Foreign Minister Aiken to remind him that the United States Government could not accept an exchange of notes for a new economic assistance agreement that did not contain the necessary reference to the Economic Cooperation Act of 1948 “as heretofore amended and supplemented”. The Foreign Minister said that the note he was preparing represented the utmost the Irish Government could agree to. (740A.5 MSP/1–1052) A copy of the Minister’s note, which was addressed later in the day to Ambassador Matthews at Dublin, was transmitted to Washington on January 10 in despatch 434. (740A.5 MSP/1–1052)

On January 10, the Chargé in Ireland, Cloyce Huston, addressed a first person note, No. 151, to the Foreign Minister stating that the wording of the Minister’s note of January 8 left no alternative but to suspend the economic assistance being received by the Irish Government. He said, however, that his government was prepared to reopen the question of continuing assistance should the Irish Government have further suggestions to offer. A copy of note No. 151 was transmitted from Dublin in despatch 434, January 10. (740A.5 MSP/1–1052)