Minute from Michael Rynne to Denis R. McDonald (Dublin)

Mr. Thorsing,¹ Swedish Minister, asked me today whether we had any news of happenings in Germany which he (rightly) regards as the most important centre in Europe at present.

I was able to speak on this subject only on the basis of newspaper reports which, fortunately, he could not have read while he was on leave in Spain. Thorsing’s five weeks old information was, however, as good as anything I had, because it was based on official reports he had received from Bonn via Stockholm. He even promised to tell me of the next German report he will get, on realising that I was both interested and poorly informed. Indeed, at one stage in our conversation, I was forced to pretend that our Minister at Bonn was so overworked on trade matters that his recent reports have been almost confined to exports and imports questions!

This impossible situation really cannot be allowed to subsist. We must get Bonn to report to us on the extremely vital political matters which are now taking shape in Germany, West and East.

Please take up with Mr. Belton at once telling him that the Minister is expecting a full account of the Western German people’s reaction to Russia’s latest policy-lines in the East. That is to say, Mr. Belton ought be asked for a full, independent report (which he is quite capable of writing) and not for a set of Adenauer hand-outs. Incidentally, I shall tell the Minister you are doing this, so, unless Mr. Belton produces the ‘dope’ soon, there will be severe squalls!