Extract from a memorandum by Hugh McCann
'Second session of FAO Conference held in Copenhagen, September, 1946'

[matter omitted]
The Indian delegation were particularly vocal throughout the entire conference both in the plenary session and in the commissions and committees. They warmly supported the proposals for a World Food Board as their country stood to benefit by them. They were particularly friendly to our delegation. They rose in their places to applaud our admission to FAO. On several occasions in the course of private conversation the Indian delegates stressed the common bond of sympathy which existed between India and Ireland. Sir J.P. Srivastava, former Food Member of Government of India (leader of the Indian delegation) and Mr. S. Basu, Secretary for Agriculture, Bengal Government, both remarked that Ireland would be one of the first countries in which the new Indian Government would wish to set up a Legation. Sir J.P. Srivastava made it clear that it was a Legation they would have in mind and not a High Commissioner's Office.

The leader of the Czechoslovak delegation, Mr. Julius Duris, Minister of Agriculture, asked our Minister for Agriculture to call to his room during the course of the conference. He said that he thought that we might be under the impression that Czechoslovakia voted against our admission to membership of FAO. He assured Dr. Ryan that this was not the case. It may be significant or purely coincidental that this approach was made shortly after the meeting at which we had objected to the procedure for selecting the members of the Preparatory Commission, which matter would come before the appropriate commission the following day, when we could if we thought it desirable, pursue our objection further.

The Polish representative on the Nutrition Committee apologised privately to Dr. McWeeney,¹ our representative on the committee, for his country's having opposed our application for membership. He said that he personally was against the line taken. He added that it was all a mistake as his delegation thought that it would be necessary to oppose our application because they had no diplomatic relations with us. It may be mentioned here that Dr. McWeeney was appointed Rapporteur in the Nutrition Committee.

[matter omitted]