Extracts from a memorandum from Joseph D. Brennan
to John J. Hearne (Washington DC)¹
(Confidential)

As reported to you orally, I had luncheon with Mr. Matthews, Ambassador designate to Ireland, at the Pentagon in his office dining room yesterday the 17th instant. Mr. Matthews had invited me on Monday but I was unable to accept, and he called me early yesterday morning to know if I could take luncheon with him that day. Our conversation covered a wide range of subjects. Mr. Matthews was very anxious to talk about Ireland and to get some idea what he had to expect when he got there. I gave him such information as I thought might be useful to him.

He was particularly interested to know something of our present Minister for External Affairs, Mr. Frank Aiken. He told me he had never met Mr. Aiken but that he had spoken to him on the telephone in 1948 when Mr. Aiken was here with Mr. de Valera. I outlined for Mr. Matthews Mr. Aiken’s career and told Mr. Matthews that Mr. Aiken enjoyed the confidence of Mr. de Valera who regarded him as probably his most intimate friend and colleague and one in whom he reposed the utmost trust. He asked me if Mr. Aiken was a person to whom he could talk frankly and I assured him that indeed he might do so because he was a person of the utmost discretion. He asked me about Mr. Aiken’s visit to the United States in 1941 and I told him the purpose of Mr. Aiken’s trip at that time and its result.

[matter omitted]

Earlier in the conversation, in extending my personal congratulations to Mr. Matthews on his appointment as Ambassador to Ireland and my good wishes, I had said that we looked for great results from his appointment. I referred to the Partition question and told him that he would be in a key position on that particular issue and that his influence and the influence of the United States might well be used towards finding a solution of this long-standing irritating problem. (He said that that particular problem [Partition] was very close to his heart and that he would certainly do everything in his power to endeavour to reach a solution.)² I said that I would refrain from putting any ideas in his mind in regard to it, that he was fully aware of our condition and of our desire for peaceful and amicable relations with our neighbour, Great Britain, but that he, going to Ireland with a fresh and open mind might possibly find an avenue of approach to a solution which I did not see at the moment, an avenue which possibly had not occurred to anyone so far. He said it was his hope and intention to visit the North frequently, to meet the members of the Northern Government and outstanding personalities in the North as well as in the Twenty-Six Counties, and to do everything that might be possible in his capacity as the Ambassador of a friendly nation to achieve that end which we all desire.

He mentioned incidentally that he hoped during his term as Ambassador in Ireland to visit the United States frequently so that what he learned at home would be conveyed by word of mouth to the persons here in the United States, including the President, who would have power to move in this particular connection. He added that he hoped that I would not forget him in Ireland and that he would like to communicate with me privately. I said I would certainly be honoured if he would do so, and he hinted that he might like me occasionally to inspire invitations from societies in this country which would serve as pretexts for his returning to the United States at reasonably frequent intervals.

I asked him about the newspaper report that he was going to be the President’s Envoy to Europe as well as to Ireland and told him I had seen these reports and wondered what gave rise to them. He said he had never said any such thing as was reported by the Associated Press although he might have casually said something at Omaha which was misinterpreted.

In regard to Spain, I mentioned that Mr. de Valera had announced that he would like to put the country in a proper state of defence, and asked him was there any possibility of some arrangement being made to supply arms to Ireland as had been discussed before. In that connection [arms] he replied that he was very glad indeed that he was going to Ireland as Ambassador, having first had the experience for two years as Secretary of the Navy. Consequently, he would be able to approach this question of defence with a knowledge which he would not otherwise have had and might be able to do more because of that than he might otherwise have been able to do because of lack of knowledge.

[matter omitted]