Letter from Josephine McNeill to Seán Nunan (Dublin)
(79) (Confidential) (Copy)

With reference to the Department’s Confidential Circular D.C. No. 4/52 (Ref. 414/14/6)¹ regarding relations of Missions abroad with representatives of countries having Communist Governments, I have the honour to report on that matter as it affects this Mission.

When I came here in January 1950, I exchanged the customary arrival calls with the Heads of Missions of the following Communist countries, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia, having taken the initiative in calling in the usual way.

At the Russian Embassy at the time of my arrival a Chargé d’Affaires was functioning pending nomination of an Ambassador to replace the outgoing one. He did not ask to call on me. In due course when a Russian Ambassador arrived and duly presented his credentials to the Queen, I forbore to ask him to receive me – having in mind Irish sentiment regarding Communist Russia and Russian sentiment regarding Ireland as experienced by their veto in the United Nations etc.

I have therefore no official relations with the Russian Embassy here. Had the Russian Ambassador been here when I first arrived, it is probable that, as with the other Ambassadors, I should have asked him to receive me, unless you advised to the contrary. As it was, in view of the mutual relations of our countries, I felt that it was better to ignore the arrival.

On social occasions when I am inviting all Heads of Missions here, I include on the invitation list the Ministers of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the Chargé d’Affaires of Poland, Romania and Hungary. I have in addition attended the National Days of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia, the occasion generally being their ‘Liberation’, presumably from the Germans. On such occasions I remain for a short time and am friendly but reserved with the Head of Mission receiving and his wife. I have no contact with their officials.

In general ‘fraternisation’ is not a problem that worries us, for the Iron Curtain countries show no disposition themselves to fraternise. The case of Yugoslavia is of course different. We meet the Minister² and his wife constantly. He is a cheerful, bluff creature, who obviously conforms to keep his job and gives no impression whatsoever of being a doctrinaire or fanatical Communist. He occasionally makes a remark implying that the 20th century is the 20th century, that it is a socialist century and that all the world had better conform, but apart from that he does not enter into political discussions. I am quite friendly and civil when I meet him at parties. I have not invited him here for lunch or dinner or to parties with an informal personal character.

Recently he invited me to join his party for the opening performance of the Yugoslav Folk Dances who came here to perform as part of this year’s Holland Festival. I thought it unwise and undesirable to appear in his company on this semi-official occasion and declined the invitation. I subsequently however went privately to see the Yugoslav Dances on an occasion when the Queen too was present informally with the Princesses.

The representatives of the satellite countries of Russia show a disposition to be friendly with me in a rather shy and reserved way. They are in themselves rather shy and unsure people. The friendliness amounts to nothing more than a desire to greet me and shake me by the hand. I get the impression that they regard me as a friendly person not tinged with ‘imperialism’ or ‘dollar worship’ or the other capital sins against the Communist commandments.

Even before receipt of the Circular under reference, I kept in mind the necessity of not being identified with any social or official celebrations on the part of the Missions concerned that would link me in any representative capacity with events repugnant to Irish sentiment.

I have also to say that Mr. Gaynor³ informs me that apart from casual contact at social functions with the Counsellor of the Yugoslav Legation he has no relations with the Missions of any of the countries concerned.