Letter from Peter Barnicle to Conor Cruise O'Brien (Dublin)

Dear Conor:
This is in the way of another 'works in progress' report regarding activities here during the past week. Mr. Hearne arrived in New York at 7 A.M. on Wednesday, the 29th with Mrs. Hearne and three of their four children. The party was met by Mr. Healy,¹ Jim O'Brien and myself at Grand Central Station.

During the forenoon, a press conference was held, and it was attended by reporters and photographers from AP, UP, INS, Reuter's, the New York Times, New York Herald Tribune, the Daily Mirror, the Daily News, the World Telegram, the Journal American and the Brooklyn Eagle. Following a lengthy interview, on which clippings have already been sent, his Excellency posed for Fox Movietone and Paramount newsreels.

As you know, the interview combined with the action of Congress and the impending visit of Sir Basil made page one on the Metropolitan press across the nation. I understand from your cable No. 31² that an 'unfavorable impression' has been made by some of the editorial comment, which appeared on Thursday and Friday following the action of the House on the Fogarty Resolution.³ However, despite any immediate 'impression', I feel that we have achieved one of our primary objectives in that we have now made the entire United States conscious of the fact that the question of Partition exists and that it is one which must be solved in the immediate future.

I, too, was naturally upset by some of the editorial comment, particularly where I saw half truths used as the basis by the editorial writers. But after considering the matter for some length, I have come to the conclusion as I said before, that we have attained one of our primary objectives. It should now be our purpose to contact these editorial writers, and having made them aware of the problem, we can now advance our arguments for a solution of that problem.

Just how strongly are we prepared to go in advancing the idea of a federation with Stormont maintaining certain local Government powers, while sending representatives to Dublin for the purpose of acting on the behalf of the entire nation?

To return again to the 'works in progress' report, on Thursday, Mr. Murphy arrived aboard the America with Mrs. Murphy, their four daughters, a Governess and a dog, plus 49 pieces of luggage and a car. They were met at the pier by Mr. and Mrs. Healy, Jim O'Brien and John Byrne of the Mayor's office and myself. Mr. Murphy talked with the press aboard the ship, and after the passage through customs had been expedited, the entire party went to the Waldorf Astoria where we had made reservations for the Murphys. Friday and Saturday the family spent the day seeing the sights of New York, and on Saturday evening at 11.30, we took them from the Waldorf to the Grand Central Station, where they entrained for Ottawa.

These activities, combined with regular duties, such as answering letters and queries by newsmen regarding movements of both Mr. Hearne and Mr. Murphy - and also the movement of Sir Basil - have kept us going at a good speed during the week.

Incidentally, I think we are making a headway in our individual contacts with newsmen in this area. For example, on Saturday, the Right Hon. Dehra Parker⁴ was scheduled to arrive aboard an AOA plane at Idlewild. The reporters instead of contacting either AOA Public Relations or British Information contacted this office, so at least we have them thinking along the right lines.