Confidential report from John W. Dulanty to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)
(No. 43) (Secret)

Last evening Mr. Malcolm MacDonald asked me to see him for a few minutes. I accordingly went to the Dominions Office.

Mr. MacDonald said that he would like me to explain to the President that owing to his being somewhat suddenly included in the British Delegation to the Nine Power Conference¹ he had been compelled to put aside the work he had been doing on the question of the relations between our two countries. He said he was much disappointed at this interruption. The President, he said, would probably be thinking that it is now some time since our last conversation and that some word from him, Mr. MacDonald, was now due if not overdue. He assured me that the moment he was free from the Nine Power Conference he would resume without delay his work which had been unavoidably interrupted.

At the conclusion of his interview with the President in the Grosvenor Hotel on the last occasion² Mr. MacDonald I feel sure had the definite intention of putting forward proposals after the necessary discussion with the United Kingdom Cabinet. He said to me yesterday, however, that he was not sure whether there would be any proposals to put forward or not. There might be proposals he said but on the other hand there was the equal probability that his colleagues would decide to let matters remain as they were.