Telegram from the Department of External Affairs
to all missions (except Washington DC and Consular offices in USA) of the text of an interview by Éamon de Valera concerning Ireland's non-membership of the United Nations
(250/19A)

Ireland is not disturbed at the prospect of being refused membership of the United Nations Organisation through the exercise of the Russian veto. This was made clear to the Dublin Correspondent of the New York Times by Mr. de Valera in a special interview which he gave yesterday. Indeed it had already been made clear in the discussion in Dáil Éireann when the decision to apply for membership was before that Assembly 'the decision to apply for membership' Mr. de Valera said 'was taken by the Irish Government with no little misgiving and only because Ireland wished to play her full part in every effort to secure international co-operation and world peace.'

The reasons given by the Russian representative for opposing Ireland's admission are obviously a pretence.

The statement that Ireland expressed sympathy with the Axis is simply untrue. The Irish people are genuinely a democratic people who whilst they do not desire to interfere with the manner in which other peoples organise their social life or govern themselves dislike for their own part and fundamentally all dictatorships whatever the variety.

As for Ireland's attitude during the war Ireland remained neutral but she would have defended herself to the best of her ability if attacked.

Russia did not enter the war until she was attacked and for almost two years preceding her entry Russia assisted Germany in accordance with the terms of a trade agreement which she made with Germany shortly before the war. Moreover the immediate preparatory to Germany's attack on Poland on September 1st 1939 was the conclusion of the famous Non-Aggression Pact between Russia and Germany signed by M. Molotov and Herr Ribbentrop on August 23rd i.e. one week before the war broke out. That agreement was interpreted by everyone at the time as giving Germany a free hand to go ahead.

The Russian view of the qualities required in a nation for entry into the United Nations Organisation is a strange one. If Russia which attacked Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania can be regarded as qualifying as a peace-loving nation it is difficult to see how a nation which kept the peace and scrupulously fulfilled all its obligations as a member of the League of Nations can rightly be regarded as not qualifying - but then said Mr. de Valera smiling 'we have no diplomatic relation with Russia. Russia's action in this matter is clearly an abuse of power and it is obvious that no organisation in which such action is possible will command the people's respect or can long endure.'