Dearg code telegram from Joseph P. Walshe to Robert Brennan (Washington)
(No. 297)

My immediately following telegram.¹ It was emphasised that these were just remarks made verbally and not for publication.

Minister wants you to see some friendly person in State Department and say quite informally without leaving anything in writing that our reply was only sort of reply independent neutral State could give in view of indefiniteness of category of war criminals. Last paragraph makes clear what our action would be in regard to aliens whose presence would be at variance with neutrality or detrimental to our interests or inconsistent with our desire to avoid injury to interests of friendly States. It must be perfectly clear that expression 'friendly States' refers in this case to United States and Britain. There was absolutely no justification for remarks of State Department especially No. 2 which is an unworthy perversion of our answer more appropriate to school debate than to relations between States.