Aide-Mémoire from Frank Aiken to Francis P. Matthews (Dublin)

I have the honour to refer to our conversation of the 7th December relating to the Economic Co-operation Agreement, signed at Dublin on 28th June, 1948, as heretofore amended, and to the enactment by the Congress of the United States of America of the Mutual Security Act of 1951, Public Law 165, 82nd Congress.

2. The Government of Ireland have, since I saw Your Excellency, studied carefully the terms of the Mutual Security Act and have examined its relationship to the Economic Co-operation Agreement signed at Dublin. They observe that the Act makes provision for the rendering of free military and free economic assistance in certain cases. They note that the Act maintains the principle of payment of unexpended balances of appropriations made for the purposes of the Economic Co-operation Acts, 1948 to 1950; this confirms the notification contained in the Aide-Mémoire of the United States Embassy, dated 16th February, 1951,¹ to the effect that such balances would continue to be available until fully utilised for the purposes mutually agreed upon. In this connection, the Irish Government are willing to agree that the sums mentioned in paragraphs 4 and 6 of Article IV of the Economic Co-operation Agreement of 1948 shall be spent by the Government of the United States in any area and for any purpose it wishes.
3. The Irish Government desire again to express their gratitude for the loan, grant and technical assistance provided by the United States Government under the Economic Co-operation Acts and the relevant Agreement and to place on record the Irish people’s appreciation of the spirit of goodwill by which they were prompted. While the Irish Government will use the unexpended balances of these funds for the purposes for which they were so generously made available, they do not ask the Government of the United States for free military assistance or for further free economic assistance.
4. The Irish Government trust, however, that in the manner outlined in paragraph 9 of this Note, the American Government will help the Irish people in the present dangerous world situation to build up their defensive strength.
5. As the Government of the United States is already aware, the Government and people of Ireland conceive it to be their duty to make the maximum contribution in their power to the promotion of international understanding and goodwill, to the maintenance of world peace and to the elimination of causes of international tension. It is because they seek these objectives without qualification or reserve that the Irish Government wish to obtain a peaceful and early ending of the unjust Partition of Ireland which not only adversely affects the internal development of the Irish nation but dominates its approach to all questions of external policy. The Irish Government and people remember with gratitude the sympathy which American Governments and the American people have manifested in regard to Ireland’s right to freedom. They trust in a continuance of that sympathy until Ireland is again united, as it was before the British Parliament divided it in 1920 against the will of the Irish people, declared by a four to one majority.
6. Notwithstanding Irish resentment at the maintenance of Partition by the British Government, the Taoiseach, Mr. de Valera, declared in 1935 that Ireland would not allow her territory to be used as a base for attack against Britain and, during the last war, this pledge was scrupulously honoured.
7. The Irish Government desire to assure the Government of the United States that they will do all in their power to repel or defeat any attack upon the area under their jurisdiction and to prevent any attempt to use their territory as a base for attack against the United States or Britain. Ireland cannot, except in the case of an unprovoked attack, however, consistent with her history and her national stability, consider entering into any further military commitment with other countries for joint defence so long as she is denied the national unity and freedom which they already enjoy.
8. Whilst earnestly praying that they may be mistaken, the Irish Government deem it only prudent to assume that the present tension is likely to lead ultimately to war and are concerned lest Irish territory should be inadequately defended. They are, accordingly, expanding the Regular Army and auxiliary services, such as the Local Defence Force and Civil Defence services, and are making every effort through the ordinary commercial channels, though so far with only a very limited degree of success, to obtain the requisite modern equipment.
9. The Government of Ireland would, therefore, be grateful if the Government of the United States would facilitate their efforts to strengthen Ireland’s defence forces by arranging for the sale to the Department of Defence of modern arms and equipment. If, at present, the American Government cannot spare an adequate amount of such supplies, the Irish Government would urge most strongly that quantities sufficient at least for training purposes should be delivered as soon as possible, together with materials, designs and technical assistance for the production of such of these weapons and equipment as could be made in Ireland. The Irish Government will gladly pay for any such material as the Government of the United States may be good enough to make available.