Extract from a letter from Conor Cruise O'Brien
to Seán O'hÉideáin (Buenos Aires)
(Copy)

[matter omitted]

I think in all this we have to bear in mind the strategic picture as regards partition. The field of opinion which we require to influence is primarily the English speaking world: the Six County majority itself, Britain, the United States and, rather a long way after, the Commonwealth Nations. The most striking fact about this grouping is that it is predominantly Protestant and the great factor of prejudice against which we have to struggle is the inflammation which occurs in Protestant temperaments when there is the question, as they believe, of handing over a predominantly Protestant population against their will to a Catholic power. This, in the opinion of those best qualified to judge, is what stopped the Fogarty Resolution. Activities like Father Filippo’s¹ are bad news from this point of view whatever good they may do locally nor is it safe to say that Father Filippo’s remarks would not travel outside Argentina. They would if the British propaganda services judged them of sufficient utility; this has happened to us before.

[matter omitted]