Handwritten letter from John W. Dulanty to Eamon de Valera (Dublin)

My Dear President,

In haste for the post I beg to enclose a copy of the note given to me by Mr. Thomas and which note I read over the telephone to you this evening.

Mr. Thomas immediately referred to the Cabinet meeting informing them that the Statement was acceptable to you provided that their announcement in the House of Commons tomorrow (Monday) made it clear that the proposed preliminary talk would be on the subject of the present difficulties of the Ottawa Conference arising out of the British Government's announced attitude towards the Irish Free State Government at that Conference. To this Mr. Thomas agreed and is arranging for such a statement to be included in the reply he will make tomorrow (Monday) at 3.45 pm in the House of Commons to a private notice question. There will be no announcement or publicity before then.

After speaking to you on the telephone both Sir Edward Harding and I noticed that the words 'prior to' meant just the opposite of the Cabinet's decision. The note was dictated rather hurriedly by Mr. Thomas. We therefore substituted the words 'and that'.

I have to hurry to enable this to reach you in the morning.