Minute from Frederick H. Boland to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)

Secretary,
Dr. Kostal,¹ the Czech Consul called on the 21st July and told me that Mr. Jan Masaryk,² Foreign Minister of the Czech Government in London, had been invited by Mr. Yeats,³ the Auditor of the College Historical Society in Trinity College, to speak at the Inaugural Meeting of the Society next November. The Taoiseach and Professor D.W. Brogan⁴ had also been invited to speak at the Meeting. The subject of the paper was 'The Position of the Small State in relation to World Organisation'. Dr. Kostal, before transmitting the invitation to Mr. Masaryk, wished to know whether his coming to Dublin and speaking at the Meeting would be agreeable to the Irish Government.

I told Dr. Kostal that it would be better that Mr. Masaryk should not come at all than that he should come feeling obliged to say things not consistent with this country's neutrality. Public opinion in this country regarded speeches of that kind as embarrassing to our own Government and an abuse of our hospitality. It would be particularly embarrassing if any such speech were made at a Meeting at which members of the Government were present.

Dr. Kostal said that he already knew perfectly our attitude on this matter and that he could assure me most formally that if Mr. Masaryk came, he would keep the discussion on a purely theoretical plane and would make no reference of a political character to the present world situation. I mentioned the matter to the Taoiseach on the 27th July. The Taoiseach seemed to be aware of the pro- posed invitation to himself. He said he had been thinking for some time of making a public statement defining our attitude on the question of the position of small States in any world organisation which came out of the present war and that the Meeting in question might be as good an opportunity as any. He would think the matter over. As regards Mr. Masaryk, he had no objection to his coming provided he were prepared to have due regard to our neutrality in what he said. The Taoiseach said I might tell Dr. Kostal that he would be glad to have Mr. Masaryk to lunch if he came.

I spoke to Dr. Kostal on the telephone the same day, informing him as directed by the Taoiseach. I reminded him of what I had said during his visit on the 21st July and told him that the Taoiseach had not yet made up his mind whether or not he would speak at the Meeting in question.