Joseph P. Walshe to Timothy A. Smiddy (Washington)

A Chara,

I am instructed by the Minister to forward new books per H.S. For ordinary purposes you may find the Unicode useful. For secret wires use the other. Instead of adding the actual date as heretofore, add the total number of days in the month minus the number of the actual date. Thus wiring on the 15th February, you add 13 (i.e. 28 - 15) on the 21st add 7 (i.e. 28 - 21) etc. The Minister is most grateful for all the information and suggestions supplied for this and other Departments.

The Postmaster-General and the Minister for Agriculture wish their special thanks to be conveyed to you.

Since your Offices have been purified, there is no reason to fear henceforth that our letters might fall into the wrong hands. The present irregular system of answering your letters in cryptic general terms or not at all will cease forthwith.

The Minister wishes me to reaffirm on his behalf his entire confidence in your discretion and his complete approval of all the steps you have taken in the difficult matters you had to deal with.

There was no question at any time of dispensing with Mr. Crawford's services.

The question was whether somebody with more experience of Trade matters should not be appointed Trade Agent leaving Mr. Crawford free to assist you. When a final decision has been taken you will be advised.

We are asking the British Government to notify their Ambassador and the American State Department that you are duly appointed Agent of this Ministry 'for the purpose of studying the methods of public Administration in the United States and looking after financial interests of the Irish Free State'.¹