Confidential report from John W. Dulanty to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)
(No. 24) (Secret)

Adverting to the secret note which the Assistant Secretary of the Department addressed to me on the 19th ultimo¹ on the proposed visit of the Taoiseach and Dr. Douglas Hyde to Saul, County Down, I have had several conversations with the British Secretary of State for the Dominions and officers of that Department.

I referred to the experience of several years ago, referred to in the second paragraph of the note under reply, and explained that the Taoiseach was anxious to attend the ceremony at Saul. Naturally, he could not accept any conditions and if any difficulty were raised by the Six County Government the Taoiseach would be compelled on this occasion to state in public the reason why he could not enter the Northern area.

The Ceremony, I understood, would be of a religious character. There might afterwards be some social occasion, such as a luncheon, at which the Taoiseach would make a short speech and whilst he could not, as I had already stated, accept any conditions he would not take any action which might lead to friction or embarrassment either for his Government or that of the Six County.

The Dominions Office inform me to-day that the Northern Ireland Government will raise no objection to the visit to Saul of Dr. Douglas Hyde and the Taoiseach. In reply to my enquiry as to the expulsion order on the former occasion, I was informed that any expulsion action rested not on any particular document but upon Statutory Orders which would not be invoked against Mr. de Valera.