Extract from a letter from Frank Ryan to Leopold H. Kerney (Madrid)
(Personal)

[matter omitted]
I know, illegally, that you are having another visitor soon.¹ He must know nothing of correspondence between you and me. But you should ask him about me. His answers may interest you. From my knowledge of him, he is far more capable than he appears, and has a long record of successes to his credit. He has been most persistent and successful in preventing dealings with certain people in the little island. His attitude on all questions is that of his Chief; hence his insistence that the status quo in the little island is not to be interfered with is significant. He has the extraordinary gift of quickly understanding a small-nation problem: hence, I presume his visit now to you …

I have never left an opportunity pass of criticising matters like those of Belfast, North Strand (Dublin), the 'City of Bremen', etc., and found him so straightforward in his replies that I found it difficult to maintain the role of a questioner. I think it right to tell you that – to the best of my knowledge (which is fairly good) – he and also the military authorities have relations now only with their own Minister in the little island …
[matter omitted]