Minute by Joseph P. Walshe concerning the release of German internees

I spoke to Norman Archer on Wednesday, 1st August, and suggested that we should give a written guarantee to the internees, using the words used by Maffey when talking to me, i.e., that they would be treated as honourable demobilized soldiers of the Wehrmacht and would not be interned.

Archer said he would have to refer to London.

Yesterday, Thursday, Maffey came on the 'phone and said it would not be possible to get the Allied military authorities to agree to that form, but that we could use it verbally since it represented the real position.

I informed the Taoiseach and the Secretary of the Department of Defence accordingly.