Foreign Office Memorandum No. 2. 1922
Supplementary general instructions to representatives abroad

1. Correspondence - A new series will be started by and to each Foreign representative forthwith, letters being numbers 1/1922, 2/1922 and so on. Correspondence generally may be sent through the registered post to the MFA, and, if of a personal character, should be so marked. Special correspondence will be sent by courier as before.

Minutes dealing with office routine should be typed on separate sheets from those dealing with other matters.

Despatches upon important subjects or upon matters likely to give rise to much correspondence should likewise be separate.

2. Special Official Forms - For the purpose of record, this Department will file a specimen of the official paper, visiting cards and other forms in use from time to time in its Foreign Establishments.

A specimen of each of the forms now in use is required in duplicate; in order to complete the file, specimens of any obsolete forms should also be furnished whenever this is possible.

3. Publications - For the purpose of record, a copy of every publication issued from each Foreign Establishment (including all publications issued since the initiation of the establishment) should be supplied to this department, together with a complete file in duplicate of the official Bulletins.

4. Cuttings - It is necessary to ensure the regular despatch weekly to this Department of cuttings from the press of the territory covered by each Representative, and those cuttings should be confined to matters of importance or of special interest, or to which it is desired to draw particular attention. The despatch of cuttings to the Publicity Department will be discontinued, pending further instructions.

5. Political Position - A monthly survey of the political and general developments in the territory covered by each representative, will be furnished for the information of the Cabinet; the survey should be posted to the Foreign Office, on the first day of each month.

6. Irish Literature Abroad - A general bibliography of foreign books and pamphlets dealing with Ireland, or of matters of Irish interest is being collected, each Foreign Representative will deal with his own territory; in each case where necessary data cannot readily be compiled at short notice, their despatch to this Department may be deferred until they can be completed. The bibliography should include date of publication, and name of publisher, wherever possible.

7. Newspapers - Each representative is desired to prepare and forward a list of the more important newspapers and periodicals of his territory, with their addresses, and the names of the Editor and outstanding contributors, and a statement of the policy and tendencies of each newspaper and periodical included in the list.

8. Who's Who - A reliable handbook, describing the most notable persons in each territory, is required urgently by the Foreign Office. Further, a complementary 'Who's Who', enlarging the lists already sent by Foreign Representatives and bringing them up to date, should be compiled for despatch not later than the 31^st of March next, describing the principal persons and bodies with whom each representative is directly or indirectly in touch, and those specially hostile or specially friendly to Ireland.