Dearg code telegram from Thomas J. Kiernan to Seán Nunan (Dublin)
(No. 1)

Australian Government firmly and finally decide terminate appointment. They desire agreed statement if possible and suggest following. ‘The Minister for External Affairs Mr. R.G. Casey announced today that the Commonwealth Government had decided not to proceed with the appointment of Mr. Paul McGuire as Australian Ambassador at Dublin. Mr. Casey said that since the Government of the Republic of Ireland had indicated its assent to the appointment of Mr. Paul McGuire as Ambassador there had been a series of exchanges of views between Dublin and Canberra as to the form of Mr. McGuire’s Letters of Credence. Unfortunately it has proved impracticable to secure agreement between the two Governments because the various forms under discussion were regarded by one party or the other as involving important constitutional implications in respect of the claims of the Government of the Republic of Ireland regarding the area of its territorial jurisdiction.

‘Every effort had been made to resolve this important problem in a friendly way. As agreement had not been reached and could not be foreseen it was now necessary to announce the definite decision of the Australian Government not to proceed with the appointment of an Australian Ambassador to Dublin’.

Apart from agreed statement Minister reserves right to give a full public explanation Australian case when pressed as he immediately will [be] by Evatt.