Memorandum from Joseph P. Walshe to Eamon de Valera (Dublin) regarding
Jan Masaryk's visit to Dublin

The German Minister came to see me today, and, after some general talk, he referred to Dr. Masaryk's visit. He thought our attitude indicated a recognition of Dr. Masaryk's position as head of the Czech Government. The presence of the Taoiseach at the meeting in Trinity College and his amiable references to Dr. Masaryk, as well as the general prominence given to him in the Press, were signs that we had changed our policy. He wondered why we had done so. He felt it his duty to put the question to us. We did not seem to realise that the whole form of Government had changed in Czechoslovakia a year before the war and that a new President had taken the place of Dr. Beneš. Germany had taken over the conduct of Czechoslovakia's foreign affairs and the Irish Government had shown their acquiescence in that position by ceasing to list Dr. Kostal as Czech Consul.

I told Dr. Hempel that we ourselves had gone through the stage of being a suppressed nation and had experienced all the difficulties of obtaining recognition for our struggle for independence. As a small country we could not but support the cause of all small countries, no matter where they were situated. We should be false to our principles if we did not do so.

Dr. Hempel, who seemed slightly worked up about the matter, said that we would understand that the position of Czechoslovakia vis-à-vis Germany offered no parallel for our position vis-à-vis Great Britain. Our boundaries were determined by the sea and the British had no excuse for any dispute with us on that score. But the Czechoslovaks were Slav – part of the great Slav invasion of nearly 2,000 years ago – who had penetrated into German territory, and their presence as an independent State constituted a highly dangerous problem for Germany.

Since he kept on insisting until I felt that I should be obliged to talk to him about Germany's ill-treatment of practically all the small nations of Europe, I thought it better to suggest that he should have a talk with you some time soon on the whole matter.

He gladly accepted the suggestion.