Memorandum from Joseph P. Walshe to Eamon de Valera (Dublin)
(Secret)

Messrs. Will¹ and Lawler,² of the American Security Service, came today with Colonel Bryan.

Mr. Will explained that there had been some misunderstanding between Mr. Gray and Mr. Marlin, and the latter was, for that reason, prevented from coming over at the last moment. He assured me that Colonel Bruce understood the situation and held Marlin in the highest esteem. He knew the excellence of Marlin's work in Ireland and how much he had contributed to better relations.

I spoke to Will and Lawler in the following sense.

In our view, Security questions cannot be divorced from external policy. It would be impossible to imagine a Security service which had no relation with the foreign service of the country concerned. 'Security', in the sense in which we are now using it, definitely concerns our foreign relations. It is, therefore, of the highest importance that the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Security Department should be closely linked together. That is the position here, and it is going to continue to be the position. A water-tight Security Department, keeping all its activities to itself, would be of no use to the State. It might very easily become like any imperium in imperio – a source of danger. Just as a Department of Foreign Affairs cannot give its whole time to Security matters, and therefore cannot expect to have very much experience in Security matters, so Security officials would be unwise to regard themselves completely competent to judge the precise effect of their activities on the external relations of the State. In our country at any rate, the liaison between Security officials and the Foreign Affairs officials is so close, so interwoven, as to form almost one Department.

With regard to Mr. Marlin, I wanted to say this much. But for his patriot- ism in the interests of America and his complete understanding of this country, the liaison between our Security officials would never have been established. In the ordinary course of friendly talks, in no sense official, Mr. Marlin and I came to the conclusion that a lot of doubts and difficulties between our two countries could be effectively removed by the establishment between our Security services of a free, easy and friendly intercourse. I had explained to Mr. Marlin, and he completely agreed with me, that the natural and universal friendship and affection for the United States which existed in this country was too precious a thing to be imperilled by avoidable misunderstandings. Our talks, which never purported to be official or semi-official on either side, eventually led to the visit of Colonel Bruce to this country and to the initiation of the new relationship.

I was only one of a great many friends of Mr. Marlin in Ireland. We all esteemed him very highly, not only for his high intellectual qualities and his deep culture, but also, and chiefly, because he is, above all things, an American patriot.

Mr. Gray knew that Mr. Marlin was a friend of mine.

I would discuss the whole matter with Mr. Gray, and I hoped very much I could convince him that there was no basis for the misunderstanding which unfortunately had arisen between him and Marlin.