Extract from a confidential report from Frederick H. Boland to
Seán Nunan (Dublin)
(82/164) (Confidential) (Copy)

With reference to your teleprinter message, No. 3429,¹ and previous communications regarding the position of the Czechoslovak Legation in Dublin, I arranged to see the new Czech Ambassador, Mr. Ullrich,² yesterday morning and had an interview with him which lasted over an hour. When we had been talking about half-an-hour, the Ambassador asked whether I would have any objection if he asked Mr. Jaroslav Pátek, one of his Secretaries, to join the discussion. He explained that Mr. Pátek had a greater familiarity both with the English language and the particular question we were discussing than he. I raised no objection and Mr. Pátek was present for the remainder of the interview.

2. I explained to Mr. Ullrich at the outset that I had come to see him about the Dublin Legation and I said I thought it would be helpful if I began with some general observations about our position in relation to the difficulties which had arisen. I said that we had a traditional friendship for the Czech Nation, based on the similarities in our respective struggles for national freedom and it was no part of our desire that any public controversy or quarrel should arise in our relations with Czechoslovakia. At the same time I would be less than frank if I did not add that Irish public opinion had no sympathy whatever with Communism and our traditional attitude in that regard had been strengthened by a series of events in Eastern European countries. From the moment Major Ruzicka³ informed us of his intention to resign, our concern had been to avoid being drawn into a controversy between him and the new Government in Czechoslovakia and to avoid the situation created by his resignation becoming an open issue in our relations with Czechoslovakia. If that happened, and if a situation arose in Dublin similar to those which had arisen in other countries where positive measures had been taken to dislodge former members of the Czechoslovak Foreign Service who had resigned, there was little doubt where the sympathies of Irish public opinion would lie and the reactions could be only most unfavourable from the point of view of Czechoslovak trade and other interests in Ireland. What I wanted to emphasise was that from the beginning our attitude had been actuated, not by any desire to provoke a controversy with Czechoslovakia or by any lack of regard for her dignity and interests, but by a desire to minimise the risk of the situation created by Major Ruzicka’s resignation becoming a source of embarrassment to both countries and a bone of public contention between them.

[matter omitted]