Memorandum by Joseph P. Walshe on the dropping of bombs on Irish territory by German aircraft
(Secret)

The German Minister called to see me at 12.45 p.m. today. He was still very disturbed in manner as a result of the bombings. He said he naturally understood the indignation and feelings of the Government and our population at what had happened, but, at the same time, he wished to protest in a friendly way at the attitude taken up by the three Dublin papers in their leading articles of this morning. He said it was unfair – especially of the 'Irish Press', which must be regarded as voicing in some way the views of the Government – to imply that the bombings were deliberate. The chief offending sentence was the following:-

'It is hardly conceivable, therefore, that any experienced airmen could mistake our soil for belligerent territory.'

The Minister went on to say that the 'Irish Times' was very much worse, but he recognised that the organ was not controlled by the Government.

I explained to the German Minister that we had nothing to do with the writing of the leader in the 'Irish Press'. If we had, it would not be done in quite the same way, but he must remember that there was very considerable indignation, both in the Government and amongst our population, and, the newspapers had to reflect in some way the general feeling. After all, as nobody wished to put an end to these incidents more than he himself, he should be rather glad that the Press expressed itself so freely. He should inform his Government that the Press was only a mild reflection of what the people felt, and he should again urge them to give the strictest instructions to the German aviators in no circumstances to fly over Irish territory. That was the only way to make certain of avoiding further trouble.