Confidential report from John W. Dulanty to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)
(No. 11) (Secret)

Sir Thomas Inskip today handed to me the enclosed note dated 22nd March on the subject of our proposed amended form of passport. He said that although I had stated in my conversation with his on the 16th February that I thought the change had been decided upon, the letter which I handed to him¹ said that Mr. de Valera 'is considering a change in the existing form of Irish passport". The note he was now handing me was based on the hope that the question might be further considered. I think he regarded such a hope as rather remote.

He said that, as the Irish Government must be aware, a certain amount of ill-feeling had arisen about the large numbers of young Irishmen who were coming to England to secure employment. Sir Thomas Inskip feared that if and when the alteration in the form of the passport became known this feeling would be aggravated. The critics of his Government would contend that so far the British had treated these young men as coming from a country which was a member of the Commonwealth, but if the Irish Government proceeded with their proposal to omit the King's name from the form of the passport, the present state of public feeling to which he had referred would certainly grow stronger.

He thought that the proposed change would be bound to accentuate the difference between the Government of Éire and that of Northern Ireland.

I reminded Sir Thomas Inskip that at our meeting on the 16th February I informed him that I was making this intimation about the proposed change in the form of the passport as a matter of courtesy, since my Government regarded this matter as one for them to decide. I would make sure whether the change was actually in process and in any event I would of course acquaint the Taoiseach with Sir Thomas Inskip's views.

As an evidence of his genuine desire to avoid difficulties both for us and for them he mentioned that he had arranged to suspend the proposal of the British Air Ministry to set up an experimental firing range on the North East shores of Lough Foyle. He was, however, under the impression that when he discussed the matter with the Taoiseach in September last, the latter had said he would communicate further with him. I told Sir Thomas Inskip that I was present at the breakfast when this subject was discussed and all that the Taoiseach had said was that there might be a further discussion on his return from Geneva. It would be remembered that it had not been possible to arrange a further meeting on Mr. de Valera's homeward journey.

In the conversations of yesterday and the 16th February Sir Thomas Inskip had never even adumbrated the possibility of the British refusing the assistance of their Consular and diplomatic organisation to holders of the amended passports. My impression is that the disturbing incidents in the European situation in the last few weeks have relegated this passport question to the grade of minor importance. Sir Thomas Inskip hinted somewhat on these lines in apologising for the delay in replying to my note of the 16th February.