Letter from Colonel Dan Bryan to Seán Nunan (Dublin)
(Secret)

Dear Seán,
Further to our recent conversation I now enclose a dossier on Jupp Hoven. I am sorry that there has been more delay than I anticipated but Hoven's is a difficult case. Summarised, apart from the question of protocol, the following would seem to be the position:-

1. Although there is no absolute legal evidence, there can be no doubt that Hoven, until he left the country in 1939, had some relations with and knowledge of underground or unauthorised organisations in this country. It is reasonably certain that he is well known to some former members of those organisations who are not known for their discretion and who may talk about Hoven's previous activities publicly should he again come to this country, particularly to a diplomatic post.
2. Hoven lived in Belfast and although there is no clear evidence on the subject, his intelligence and espionage activities may have extended to Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The particular intelligence group with which he was associated had contacts with certain groups in Scotland and Wales. Hoven for this reason and because of some of his activities during the war was regarded as one of the most important people directing intel-ligence activities against Great Britain. Should he be appointed to Dublin, the British Authorities, irrespective of any Irish view, may indicate to the Germans that they do not like his presence in Dublin. In present circumstances the German Government would probably pay considerable attention to any even indirect suggestion from the British.
3. Hoven, because of his activities amongst Irish men, prisoners-of-war and internees in German Camps, is well known to quite a number of those people. Should he be appointed to the German Mission in Dublin, it seems reasonably probable that sooner or later it would become known that he was the person responsible for activities in the German Camps. This, of course, would provide a nice scare story for some of the English papers. There is a similar but lesser danger of the activities mentioned in (1) and (2) also providing material for a press story.