Extract from a letter from Joseph P. Walshe to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)
(Secret)

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Palestine. I am rather worried at the continued absence of a reply ... apart from the wire ... as to the assurances we have received from the Representative of Israel. It is not too easy to explain to the Holy See that I am still waiting for a reply to a very legitimate question which interests the Holy See and Ireland so profoundly. We have such a splendid chance of building up our prestige with the H.S., especially after the really extraordinary work of the Government, and the whole country in relation to the Mindszenty case. We are particularly well placed because we have no political or material interests in the Holy Land, as the Spaniards and the Italians have. When the Spanish Ambassador was at the Spada to lunch last week he raised the matter, and I suggested that he must have noted a change in the mind of the Holy See and that they were no longer so attached to the idea of an international territorial regime. Indeed I personally believed that the H.S. itself would not delay too long about making de facto contacts with the Israel Govt. The S.[panish] Ambassador, who is completely at sea in such matters so far, didn't quite know what to think, but I suspect he has had very unrealistic instructions from his Government.

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Cardinal Mindszenty. I enclose a letter received from Mgr. Montini (copy) thanking the Govt for all they had done in relation to the Cardinal Mindszenty case. I kept his Department constantly informed, almost daily, of the activities of the Minister, the Taoiseach and of the Bishops and public bodies. I also had very confidential talks with both sections and with Mgrs. Montini and Tardini as to the further means to be taken to provoke the indignation of the world. I told Mgr. Montini several times before the public utterances of the H.F. that the world expected Him to take a personal part, and that the articles of Della Torre in the Osservatore were not adequate to the situation. Mgr. Montini was in complete agreement. Both sections believe that the Irish Govt is, to a large degree, responsible for the increased interest taken by the other Christian Govts of the World. The confidential note to the U.S. was very useful in this respect.

Partition and the Atlantic Pact. The reply to the American query was the best possible way of demonstrating to the H.S. the seriousness of the Partition issue. Let us give them a little time to digest it before taking any further step. I don't think we should gain anything by asking them to do something positive at this moment. Their contribution, a very important one, must be the appointment of an Irish Nuncio to Dublin. It is not so certain that they wouldn't try to bargain for an Italian in exchange for a (probably quite useless) démarche. They will do something when they are convinced that their major interests are affected, not before. Now it might be dangerous to encourage them to do anything active. We can't forget their traditions in our regard, even now.

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