740.00116 E.W./10–1044: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
8692. Department’s 8500, October 14, to you.71 Since sending our 199 of October 14 to Dublin the British Embassy has requested that we make no further written approach to the Irish Government which might elicit another equivocal reply and also that we publish the Irish reply in order that the Foreign Office may be in a position to answer questions in Parliament concerning the Irish attitude toward asylum for war criminals.
We have met their wishes on the first point and instructed Gray (who meanwhile had suspended action on our 199) not to make a further démarche but merely to take occasion from time to time to mention the views indicated in our 199 to members of the Irish Government. As regards publicity, we have advised the Embassy that we feel definitely (repeat definitely) that it would be inadvisable for us to give any publicity to the Irish reply at this time (repeat at this time). If questioned here we expect merely to say that de Valera has expressed the intention of making an announcement at an early date and that we are awaiting his expression of the Irish Government’s position. We have requested that the Foreign Office take a similar line, particularly that it make no mention of this Government in this connection in replying to questions in Parliament.
Please emphasize to the Foreign Office the importance which we attach to the proper handling of this situation and please report immediately any statements made in Parliament.