Letter from Frederick H. Boland to Thomas J. Kiernan (Holy See)
(372/4)

With reference to your minutes M.P.19/46 of the 2nd March¹ and19/46 of the 22nd March,² I am sending you a copy of a letter of thanks for relief supplies from Ireland which has been received by the President from the Director of Catholic Action in Hungary. From the terms of this letter it is clear that there is no foundation for Mr. de Kosinsky's³ allegation that supplies distributed through the International Red Cross reach only Communist adherents. The letter was, of course, written after your conversation with Mr. de Kosinsky.

Before entrusting to the International Red Cross the distribution of our supplies for Central European countries, we had satisfied ourselves that they were in a position to ensure that there would be no religious or political discrimination in the allocation of the supplies and that the Catholic population of the various countries would receive their due share. The numerous letters of thanks received from high Catholic dignitaries and representative Catholic bodies in the countries concerned have since confirmed that the Red Cross guarantee in this respect was amply justified. The work is, indeed, being carried out to our complete satisfaction and we should not be disposed to make any change in the channel of distribution. It is, in any event, noted from your minute of the 22nd March that Monsignor Montini has somewhat more confidence than Mr. de Kosinsky in the International Red Cross.

As regards the question of Hungarian children, we should be glad if you would discuss the next step with Mr. Walshe.⁴ A copy of the telegram sent by the Taoiseach to Cardinal Mindszenty on the 23rd February⁵ - as reported in our telegram to you of that date - is attached.