Memorandum by Frederick H. Boland
concerning damage to the United States Consulate General, Dublin

Mr. Colladay,¹ of the American Legation, telephoned at 3.30 this afternoon and informed me (in the absence of the Secretary) that he had been instructed by Mr. Gray to make a verbal protest to us on account of the breaking of some windows of the American Consulate General last night.²

Mr. Colladay said that Mr. Gray had instructed him on the telephone to make this preliminary protest at once and then to report the protest and what we had to say in reply to it to Washington and ask them for further instructions. Mr. Gray felt that the incident was sure to get into the American papers.

I told Mr. Colladay that we would make a note of his preliminary protest. We greatly regretted the occurrence which, so far as we were concerned, was quite unforeseen and unanticipated. The Secretary was calling on the Consul General this afternoon to express the official regrets of the Minister for External Affairs. We were, of course, anxious to make good the damage and had already taken measures to prevent a recurrence. The incident was obviously a piece of irresponsible hooliganism and no significance was to be attached to it. Mr. Colladay said he would report to Washington at once. Mr. Gray felt that the matter had a diplomatic aspect (Mr. Colladay didn't explain precisely what he meant by this, but I gathered what his intention to convey was that the expression of official regret was due to the Legation rather than the Consulate General). I told Mr. Colladay that I hoped that if there were any publicity in America, it would take due account of the official attitude of the authorities here in connection with the incident.