Memorandum by Frank Aiken of a meeting with Sir Walter Hankinson

Sir Walter Hankinson came to see me today and left with me an invitation to send a small naval vessel to be present at the Naval review which will be held at Spithead on 15th June.

I told him that this came within the general question of attendance at the Coronation and that he knew our attitude to that.

I put it very strongly to Sir Walter that the British Government should take an opportunity on the second or third reading of the Royal Styles and Title Bill to make a statement that the British Government regarded it as a British interest that Ireland should be united. I said to him that the terrible thing about the situation was that if Mr. de Valera and Mr. Churchill did not settle the matter, it would perhaps be another fifty years before it could be done.

I pointed out to him that Mr. Dulles¹ had said on the German question that the re-unification of Germany was one of the major goals of American policy.

I said I would rather see the British Government than the American Government make a similar statement regarding Ireland. Sir Walter said, ‘The Americans would never do it’. I replied, ‘You never know’ and that, of course, if the British Government did not do it, I would do my damnedest to get the Americans to do it.

We had a talk of about half an hour on the whole situation and I urged Sir Walter to consider going to London to see his Government about my proposition.