Letter from Joseph P. Walshe to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)
(Secret)

My dear Secretary,
I am very glad to be able to enclose an autographed letter addressed by the Holy Father to the Taoiseach. The letter contains the reply to the T.'s message. As I have informed you by wire¹ it was published in the OSSERVATORE of today's date. MGR. MONTINI with whom I had a long talk this morning told me that the Holy Father wanted to do something really special to show His appreciation of the Taoiseach's message and that He was accordingly sending an autographed letter in reply 'to the filial and devoted message of the Prime Minister'. It is as well that we should take note of the particular honour of the autographed letter. Usually the Holy See send a telegram to such messages and leave it at that. The quite extraordinary publicity in the OSSERVATORE, the speed with which I got the audience, the Holy Father's most unusual frankness and kindness about the message, Mgr. Montini's frequent kind references to it ... all go to indicate that Ireland is very much in the favour of the Holy See at the present time. We are above all of Supreme importance as a Catholic bulwark in Europe at a time when the Holy See is so gravely perturbed about the Communist menace.

If I may repeat what I said in my telegram of today's date² ... I most earnestly hope the Minister can persuade the Government of the vital necessity of doing something to help those who are fighting for us here. The considerations are not political, they reach down to the very foundations of our civilisation. If Communism wins in Italy the centre of our Civilisation will be so vitally affected that we cannot remain immune. There must be some means of giving immediate aid. The suggestion I have made here is to start a popular Daily. It has been taken up in the highest quarters and their gratitude to us would be unending if we could contribute our mite to the cost. Surely there is some way out for us. Four thousand pounds would help and it would encourage others. It is a case where we must act with the greatest promptitude and cut out the red tape.