Dearg code telegram from Con Cremin to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)
(No. 19)

Your telegram 21. Received on evening 24th January.¹ As I hope Foreign Office regard Stuart as Irish national and nothing else, I telegraphed him immediately and on next morning requested Foreign Office to make enquiries from Mrs. C.[lissmann], whose husband she once told me is attached to Copenhagen Legation. On afternoon 25th January, Mrs. C. telephoned request to see me in connection with your 224.² In the circumstances, I asked Foreign Office to suspend Copenhagen enquiries for time being.

She called on me yesterday, Friday, and told me that in Germany R.[yan] went under name of 'James Francis Richard', American citizen, up to December 1941 and afterwards South American, exercised no activities here, was under no constraint whatever and very well treated during stay here (Berlin) having, inter alia, triple normal rations, spent three Christmases with C. family in Denmark, first became ill end 1942 and had paralytic stroke January, 1943, had been in Loschwitz Sanatorium³ my telegram 156 for some months prior to his final return there where he died of pneumonia following on pleurisy June 10th and that he was buried at Loschwitz with Catholic rites June 15th, Mrs. C. making arrangements for funeral.

She said that she requested K.[erney] in her letter of 20th June to inform you of death of R., being very anxious to have his relatives informed. She has his papers and belongings.

Your telegram was complete surprise to me. I have had no contact with Stuart since April in view of contents your telegram 118.⁴ I saw Mrs. C., however, at her request 21st June (see my despatch 28th June)⁵ and she spent night here with us end of September (see my telegram 160).⁶ It was therefore a mystery to me why she did not tell me of death of R., especially in view of her concern that his relatives learn of it, and I told her so pointing out that, if she had informed me, news would have reached you by June 24th.

She said she did not tell me because R. had always been most anxious to conceal his presence here from the Legation. She knew Legation knew nothing of his presence although you knew everything, and she therefore assumed that you preferred to employ her as means of communication rather than Legation.

I could find no ready reply to this very odd representation of situation except to say that it is curious that, in spite of her belief that she is as it were recognised channel of communication for all matters relating to R., you apparently require confirmation of her statement as to his death.

She expressed satisfaction that the Legation could now deal with the question.

I have wired Loschwitz for death certificate. I should be glad to learn whether you wish the matter pursued with Foreign Office, and, if so, on what lines.