Letter from Seán Murphy to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)
(Copy)

Secretary,

At 10.15 p.m. last night Sir Harry Batterbee telephoned to say that there was nothing to add to the information already sent us in telegrams during the day. He had been asked however to convey to the President that the Prime Minister had sent a private message to all the Dominion Prime Ministers asking them that in any message they might send to the King they would be careful to avoid giving any impression of compulsion. I asked Sir Harry what was the general feeling in the Press on the matter and he said that except in the papers which were opposed to the Prime Minister the attitude was generally in support of the Government's view. He then asked if we had received a telegram on a Broadcast. I replied we had not, and he then said it is on the way and you should have it very soon. He ended by saying that it would be appreciated that the conversations up to now had been informal. The situation had now changed and it was for that reason the Prime Minister had sent his private message.