Memorandum from Joseph P. Walshe to Eamon de Valera (Dublin)

Dr. Kostal, the Czech Consul, came to see me today. He said he had been asked to make proposals about the establishment of a Legation in Dublin. He felt, he said, – as most other foreign Consuls here felt – that, even from the exclusively commercial point of view, it was more advantageous for foreign countries to have a Legation than a Consulate.

I told him that we were always glad when foreign countries decided to be represented through a Legation, whether it was in charge of a Minister or a Chargé d'Affaires, and naturally we should welcome the establishment of a Czech Legation in Dublin. At the same time, I made it quite clear that an interval of some years might have to elapse before we could reciprocate. We had so far not even a Consulate in his country: we were only building up our Department and our existing posts abroad were very inadequately manned.

He replied that he thought his Government would be quite satisfied with that situation and that they would establish a Legation very soon after the war.

I told him that I would naturally have to discus the whole matter with you and would let him know your views in due course, but, out of mere courtesy, I had to show satisfaction at his proposal. Since it is by no means certain that the Czech Government will not have gone Communist within the next year or so, Czechoslovakia may be the first Communist State represented here.