Aide mémoire from Eamon de Valera to David Gray (Dublin) regarding war
criminals and the right to asylum

1. The Irish Government note that the right to grant asylum is not in question and they feel that the United States Government will understand that the Irish Government can give no assurance which would preclude them from exercising that right should justice, charity or the honour or interest of the nation so require.

2. The Irish Government wish, moreover, to point to the absence of a comprehensive international code applicable to the subject matter of the request of the United States Government and to the lack of a generally recognised court or procedure for the judicial determination of individual cases.

On the other hand, since the present war began it has been the uniform practice of the Irish Government to deny admission to all aliens whose presence would be at variance with the policy of neutrality, or detrimental to the interests of the Irish people, or inconsistent with the desire of the Irish people to avoid injury to the interests of friendly States, and when such aliens land they are deported to their countries of origin as soon as possible. It is not intended to alter this practice.