Annual report on the work of the Irish Legation in Berlin for 1938-39 from Charles Bewley to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)¹
(49/31)

In reply to your minute of 18th March 1939, 219/22², I beg to furnish the following report.

The Department is already aware that the promotion of trade between Ireland and Germany can only be effected by increased purchase of German goods in Ireland, and that, until the appropriate steps are taken for such increased purchase, this Legation can do nothing to increase German purchases of Irish goods, which are automatically regulated by the Irish purchases in Germany. For the convenience of the Department I enclose copy of my report (A) of 4th April 1938, 25/32³, in which the facts of the situation are fully set out and the possibilities of increasing trade with Germany are indicated. The situation has scarcely altered since last year; the ratio for 1938 of imports from other countries than Great Britain and Northern Ireland to exports to such other countries is 11.3:1; if imports to and exports from Germany are not counted it is 21.6:1. The various Departments concerned have no doubt considered whether all possible steps are being taken to secure alternative or additional markets to the British market.

It is worth while adding that I recently had a conversation with one of the Irish industrialists who habitually take part in the Leipzig Fair. He informed me that his business acquaintances in this country had on his recent visit to Leipzig informed him that they saw no reason why Germany should agree to take goods from Ireland in the proportion of 2 to 3 when Ireland made no effort to buy German goods and apparently was just as willing to buy from other countries such as Sweden which took nothing in return.

In addition, it should be remembered that under the new treaties with Slovakia, Lithuania and Roumania Germany will have more sources than she had in the past for the purposes of agricultural products, and that she will not be in the slightest dependent on Irish cattle, butter or eggs.

As regards matters other than trade, the request was made in a minute of 23rd September 1937 that I should send 'constructive suggestions as to what really should be my work in order to promote our interests in other than purely commercial circles.'⁴ I replied by a minute dated 9th October 1937, 43/33⁵, pointing out what work was habitually done by other Ministers in Berlin and elsewhere. I have not had any indication whether the Minister agrees or disagrees with the suggestions which I then made at the request of the Department, or what in the opinion of the Department should 'really be my work in order to promote our interests in other than purely commercial circles.' I enclose for your convenience a copy of the minute of 9th October 1937, 43/33. (B) ⁶.

I have been anxious to carry out the suggestion contained in a minute dated 9th November 1938⁷ that the German Press should be approached with a view to securing publicity for the campaign against the partition of Ireland. In a minute of 14th November 1938, 2/38⁸, I pointed out that in the present state of German public opinion towards England it should be perfectly possible to obtain the publicity required, and indicated the officials whom it would be advisable to approach for such a purpose. I also pointed out that various German officials had mentioned to me their very great regret at the anti-German attitude of the press in Ireland, and suggested that it could scarcely be expected that the German press should help an Irish campaign for reunion while the Irish press considered itself at liberty to indulge in abuse of the German state and its rulers. The Department however indicated in minute of 2nd December 1938⁹ that it did not propose either to sanction my approaching the officials who would be in a position to open the German press to anti-partition propaganda or to take any step to restrain the Irish newspapers from commenting as they desired on the policy of the German Government. It has accordingly been impossible to obtain that publicity for the campaign against partition of Ireland which could in all probability otherwise have been secured. I enclose for your assistance copy of the minute in question (C)¹⁰.

As regards the general promotion of good relations between Ireland and Germany (which is usually considered one of the most important, if not the most important, parts of a Minister's duty), I can conscientiously say that I have left nothing undone in order to bring about a friendly feeling towards Ireland on the part of Germans - both in official and unofficial circles. For a long time, from 1933 to 1935 or 1936, the chief obstacle to such friendly relations was the desire prevalent in Germany, and in particular in the National Socialist party, to do nothing which might possibly offend England and the consequent reluctance to show any degree of amity towards Ireland. At present the situation has changed in a most gratifying manner, and the German press publishes articles on atrocities in India, South Africa and Ireland: recently various German papers reprinted in full the chapter in Ernie O'Malley's book 'Another man's wound'¹¹ in which the author described his tortures at the hands of British officers. The chief obstacle at present is not on the German, but on the Irish, side, notably the attacks on Germany in the Irish papers and particularly in the Irish Press, which the authorities have regard as expressing the views of the Irish Government.

As I have very frequently referred to the subject before, I do not propose to give any instances beyond one which appeared lately and which seems to me to call for comment. In the Irish Press of March 20th under the heading 'Astonishing Maps' appear a series of maps of Europe in which every year Germany is seen to have annexed another country, until in 1948 all Europe has become a German colony. They are stated to have been reproduced by the News Chronicle 'from a leaflet which, it is alleged, was discovered in a raid on the offices of Herr Henlein in Prague during the September crisis'. Of course the maps are so puerile that they could only impress the very simple who accept all British propaganda, - a fact which is apparently recognized by the editor of the Irish Press, who adds: 'There is, of course, nothing to indicate that the leaflet had any official authority or that the extraordinary scheme outlined in it had been endorsed by the German Government.' One can only wonder why, in this case, the Irish Press should have featured the maps, whose sole effect must be that of contributing to the prejudice of ill-informed persons, injuring the good relations which might exist between the two countries, and assisting English propaganda. It is unnecessary for me to point out that it is impossible for cordial relations to exist when the organ which is regarded as that of the Irish governmental party indulges in malignant propaganda of this kind.

A great deal of time and labour has been involved by the introduction of a visa for Germans travelling to Ireland. In the course of the year 1938-9 over 400 visas have been issued; this however represents only a very small proportion of the applicants who numbered at least 3000, and many of whom called here on more than one occasion. In the case of Jews, since the unfortunate episode of the admission of a convicted criminal I have insisted on thorough enquiries being made before any visa is issued; this has necessitated a large amount of work, as there is a tendency on the part of the German authorities to give as favourable a character as possible to Jewish would-be migrants in the hope that they will leave Germany. As neither the Swedish Mission nor the Society of Friends in Vienna have indicated what enquiries they make about the persons whom they recommend I have of course not accepted the recommendations of these bodies as sufficient. The necessity of such an attitude has been confirmed by the admission of the Society of Friends that one of the 'workers' to whom cases are handed over has not even a rudimentary knowledge of the German language, and by the fact that the same worker handed over a passport with visa for Ireland to an applicant even though she had previously been informed by wire that the Irish Government desired that the visa should not be given. I should like to mention in passing that the greatest gratitude is to Mrs. Kamberg and Miss Walsh for their patience in dealing with applicants for visas, and that I know of no other Legation or Consulate where they obtain as sympathetic a hearing. Considerable time has been given to the assistance of Irish nationals who are in financial or other difficulties. A number of Irish women married to German husbands require advice as to their status, and also as to their best course in time of international crises. The fact that for the last nine months no study or room of any kind has been available for the Minister has of course rendered the work of the Legation much more difficult than it need otherwise have been. This has already been pointed out in minutes of 30th May 1938¹², 22nd June 1938¹³, 23rd July 1938¹⁴ and 6th February 1939¹⁵.