Sean Murphy to Desmond FitzGerald (Dublin)
(72/1923)

OFFICE
A Chara,
I have to-day discovered my exact position with regard to the French Government.

Monsieur Goblet made inquiries for me at the Foreign Office. At first they did not seem to be aware of any intention on the part of the Government to recognise an Irish Agent in any shape or form. Finally they discovered correspondence on the subject and the position according to the Chef du Protocole is as follows.

The French Government consider me as being introduced to them by the British Embassy as Commercial Agent of the Irish Free State. I have no consular or other status. I am in exactly the same position as the Canadian Commissioner with this difference that the French Government recognise me to be the Commercial Agent and in the case of the Canadian Commissioner they do not officially know of his existence. They mentioned that they regarded the recognition rather as a personal thing, that is to say that their action does not mean that they recognise an Irish Commercial Agent. They recognise me in that capacity, owing to the request of the British Embassy. The Foreign Office has informed the various ministries of my presence here and has issued instructions to them to facilitate me in every way.

I intend visiting the various personalities mentioned in the list at once. I did not do so before, because I was told it would be very foolish to take any step until I knew exactly what the position was in regard to the French Government.