Letter from Eamon de Valera to Robert Brennan (Washington)
(Confidential) (Copy)

Dear Bob,
A line to tell you how pleased we all were with the work of our delegation to the Aviation Conference and particularly with the American Agreement.¹

I am anticipating that your difficulties over there with the press, etc. will begin to lighten from now on. I am sure you are keeping in the closest touch with our friends and keeping them as fully informed as possible.

I have noted that my call on the German Minister on the announcement of Hitler 's death was played up to the utmost. I expected this. Gray could not fail to try his usual upon it. I could have had a diplomatic illness but as you know I would scorn that sort of thing. I acted very deliberately in this matter. So long as we retained our diplomatic relations with Germany to have failed to call upon the German representative would have been an act of unpardonable discourtesy to the German nation and to Dr. Hempel himself. During the whole of the war Dr. Hempel's conduct was irreproachable. He was always friendly and invariably correct – in marked contrast with Gray. I certainly was not going to add to his humiliation in the hour of defeat. I had another reason. It would establish a bad precedent. It is of considerable importance that the formal acts of courtesy paid on such occasions as the death of the head of a State should not have attached to them any further special significance, such as connoting approval or disapproval of the policies of the State in question or of its head. It is important that it should never be inferred that these formal acts imply the passing of any judgment good or bad. I am anxious that you should know my mind on all this. I have carefully refrained from attempting to give any explanation in public. An explanation would have been interpreted as an excuse, and an excuse as a consciousness of having acted wrongly. I acted correctly and I feel certain wisely.

I would like to write to you on two or three other matters, e.g. Broadcasting and Partition. I have not the time however and I shall ask Mr. Leydon to convey my views orally instead.

Regards to Mrs. Brennan and the children. I hope you are all very well.