Letter from Seán MacBride to Seán Murphy (Paris)

Dear Seán,
I enclose herewith a personal note to Schuman¹ which I would like you to deliver to him personally, if possible. If, for any reason you find it impossible to obtain an interview with him personally in the immediate future, you could deliver it to M. de Bourbon Busset,² who is his Chef de Cabinet, with a request that it be delivered to Schuman personally.

I am anxious that this letter should not go through the usual official channels of the Quai D'Orsai, but it should reach Schuman personally. My purpose in writing the letter is to facilitate a visit by Schuman to Rome for the Holy Year. As this may involve certain internal political difficulties with the French Cabinet, I am particularly anxious that the letter should reach Schuman directly, so as to avoid any possible controversy in the Quai D'Orsai, and so as to enable him to decide how best to deal with the matter. I have left the letter open so that you may read it. But please close it before delivering it.

I have not yet made any plans as to the exact date I will be travelling, or as to the route I will take. Probably I will fly to Paris and go by train from Paris to Rome. I may have to stop off at Berne in order to sign a Red Cross Convention on the way through. However, I will let you have full particulars as soon as my plans mature.