740.00116 E.W./10–3044
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
In connexion with the United States Government’s desire that no publicity should be given to the Eire Government’s reply to the United States Government’s representations on the subject of the denial of asylum to War Criminals, His Majesty’s Embassy is instructed by the Foreign Office to inform the State Department that while His Majesty’s Government propose to take no action in the matter of publicity unless their hands are forced, they understand that the Eire Government is considering the early publication of its reply to the United States Government and if that occurs it is likely that His Majesty’s Government will be asked at once to make some statement in Parliament. In that event, the statement would, His Majesty’s Embassy is informed, take the form of an announcement of the terms of the Eire Government’s reply as it stands, with the comment that His Majesty’s Government for their part are certain that it would be detrimental to the interests of the Irish people that they should harbour Axis War Criminals.
In the absence of action on the part of the Eire Government, it is His Majesty’s Government’s intention if possible to continue to refrain from the issue of any public statement in London for the time being. The postponement of the Parliamentary Questions on this subject has been arranged, and the present position is that a question has been put down for answer in the House of Commons on November 14th “asking whether any reply has yet been received from the Government of Eire to the representations of His Majesty’s Government against the harbouring of War Criminals.”