Personal code telegram from Joseph P. Walshe to
Thomas J. Kiernan (Holy See)
(No. 62)

Your 69.¹ We have strong feeling here America would be reluctant accept good offices of Spain which country is in particularly bad odour amongst Americans. Moreover it seems better first to try persuade Americans to agree not to use Rome as military centre after withdrawal and to make that intention public. We have made latter suggestion within last week and have repeated suggestion for Neutral Commission without naming the neutrals. We have further suggested that good results would be more likely if communications between us were kept secret for present. Americans know we do not seek to obtain any political kudos out of this matter. We have most carefully maintained the note that we are acting exclusively in our capacity as a Catholic State. European section of State Department have received our second communication with considerably greater cordiality than the first, but we are awaiting reply of Secretary of State to whom Note was addressed by Taoiseach as Minister for External Affairs.²

We have not yet communicated with the neutrals your 65.³ We feel it is so much better to induce U.S.A. to suggest the neutrals she desires to act. To try to impose particular neutrals upon her or to enter into negotiations beforehand with them to that end could, the Minister thinks, endanger the achievement of our purpose. This is particularly true of bringing Spain into matter as her motives would be regarded by Americans as pre-eminently political rather than Catholic, if not positively pro-German.

The Vatican probably knows that of Catholic neutrals Ireland is most likely to make headway with America on account of fundamental ties of friendship which no passing quarrels can affect and on account of fundamentally Irish character of Catholicism in United States.

Will keep you informed: meanwhile talk to Cardinal in sense of this telegram.