Draft telegram from Frederick H. Boland to Seán Nunan (Washington)¹(No. 81)

In connection with the forthcoming visit of Messrs. de Valera and Aiken, Minister desires you and Consular representatives to conform your conduct to following instructions:-

1.  It is desirable that it should be generally understood that neither Mr. de Valera nor Mr. Aiken is any longer a member of the Irish Government and that therefore they are visiting America in a private, and not in an official, capacity. If necessary, you and the Consular representatives should take steps to make this plain in Press and official circles. Mr. de Valera is, of course, the Leader of the Opposition, a member of the Council of State and a distinguished Irishman who has rendered notable services to the country. It is natural, therefore, that you and the Consular representatives should accord him the consideration due to him in these capacities in accordance with the following instructions.
2.  Invitations to dinners, receptions and similar functions of an official or civic character given in Mr. de Valera's honour should be accepted.
3.  The foregoing instructions cover also invitations to functions given by Irish-American Societies of a non-political character, such as the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick or the Irish Counties Organisation in New York. Invitations to functions at which speeches of a political character are likely to be made, or to functions organised by groups having a specific orientation towards one of the Irish political parties, should not be accepted.
4.  In accordance with established practice, meetings or functions organised in connection with the anti-Partition drive should not be attended.
5.  The Minister's general wishes will be apparent from the foregoing instructions. If there are doubts in connection with specific cases, instructions should be sought by telegram.
6.  You or the Consular representatives may wish to entertain the visitors to lunch or dinner. If so, the function should be a quiet one, should not be given an official character and publicity should be avoided.
7.  Representatives should be careful not to attend functions at which speeches critical of, or inimical to, the Government are likely to be made. If necessary, they may make it known beforehand to the hosts or the speakers that speeches of that kind would render their participation impossible.
8.  If Mr. de Valera is received by President Truman or Secretary of State Marshall, you may, if the protocol requires it, accompany him. It is presumed that official practice would require such appointments to be made through you. It is better, however, that other official appointments, such as those with Governors of States, Mayors of cities, etc., should be made by the visitors themselves, and that the local Consuls should not accompany them in making the visits.

Generally speaking, the Minister desires that, while the representatives in the United States should afford the visitors all the usual official facilities and should not leave themselves open to any charge of failing to show Mr. de Valera the official consideration due to his record and place in the national life, they should be particularly careful to avoid anything suggestive of political associations or of conduct inconsistent with the attitude of care and reserve which Civil Servants should maintain in personal relations with members of the Opposition.

Please communicate foregoing to Consular Officers.