Extract from a letter from Stephen Roche to Maurice Moynihan (Dublin)
(69/10725)

We have received an application for permission for 100 Jewish children from Poland to come here. An English Jewish Society has acquired a large castle - Clonyn Castle, Delvin, Co. Westmeath,¹ together with 100 acres - where they propose to accommodate the refugees. Dr. Hertzog,² who introduced the subject when paying a courtesy call on the Minister, promised that these children would come here only for temporary residence and said he had a guarantee from Mr. La Guardia, formerly Director General of UNRRA, that arrangements would be made for the admission of the children to the USA or, failing that, to Palestine. We doubt, however, not the good-faith of these gentlemen but their power to implement their promises; it is clear that neither Dr. Hertzog nor Mr. La Guardia has power to control immigration into the USA or into Palestine.

Our practice has been to discourage any substantial increase in the Jewish population. They do not assimilate with our own people but remain a sort of colony of a world-wide Jewish community. This makes them a potential irritant in the body politic and has led to disastrous results from time to time in other countries. The high proportion of Jewish names in the gold coin cases before the Special Criminal Court has attracted unfavourable comment, though we must, in fairness, bear in mind that dealing in precious stones and metals is a Jewish speciality, so that it is natural that most of the offenders should be Jews. (But the man in the street will not always make that allowance). The Minister, whose freedom from racial or religious prejudices or whose desire to help people in distress will not be questioned, agrees that caution is necessary. We are inclined to take the line that we will agree to receive these children for a year or two years or three years but only on a definite official guarantee that they will then be taken to, and allowed into, some other State. We understand, however, that Dr. Hertzog made approaches to the Taoiseach also. Would you oblige us by ascertaining whether this is so and whether the Taoiseach has any wishes in the matter?