W.T. Cosgrave to Edward Phelan (Geneva)

Dear Mr. Phelan,

I was very pleased to hear from you and to learn that your interest in Ireland and in our approaching membership of the League had remained as lively as during your visit to us.

While I should like very much to be quite certain of going to Geneva for the Assembly, I can not yet foresee events with sufficient clearness to be able to say that I am definitely going.

I appreciate very much Sir Eric Drummond's kindly anticipation of my visit and I am looking forward to meeting him as well as our good friends General Smuts¹ and Mr. Mackenzie King.² We shall doubtless have many things to discuss together about the relations of the Nations of the Commonwealth to each other and to the League.

With regard to the method of communication between the Irish Government and the League, I must confess to feeling surprised that any other method than the direct should have been contemplated.

New Zealand alone of the Commonwealth Nations made a formal request to the League that the channel should be the Colonial Office.

We have made no such request and by making our original application for admission through Mr. MacWhite we indicated clearly the channel through which we desired communications to be sent.

Mr. FitzGerald is considering the question of sending one or two officials to Geneva some time before the Assembly meets. They will be very glad to avail of your kind offer of assistance.