No. 268 NAI DFA/5/305/14/57

Memorandum, possibly by Denis R. McDonald1
'Functions of the Political Section'
(313/34)

Dublin, 8 April 1954

  1. Advising Minister on International Political Developments; This advice is based on reports from Missions abroad, information bulletins received from other countries, foreign periodicals dealing with international affairs and press reports (Irish, British, American, French, Belgian, Italian).

    The Minister is kept au courant with developments by circulation of selected reports and cuttings and by means of periodic memoranda prepared by the Political Section on the basis of their research, these being interpretative news analyses e.g. in regard to the Berlin and Geneva Conferences, China, Korea, Indochina, Egypt, etc.

    This aspect of the work of the Political Section, which involves continuous study of world publications, may appear at first glance and in some regards to be academic in relation to Ireland’s policy of non-military alignment but in practice it is of vital importance in determining our attitude towards other countries e.g. Pakistan, India, Israel, the Associated French States of Indochina. A recent example of the practical usefulness of this research work was an informal proposal by Pakistan received through the Pakistan Ambassador at Paris to establish diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Ireland. This involved an assessment of the advisability of establishing such relations in the light of Pakistan’s relations with India, the USA, Britain and the proposed Middle East defence organization.

    Similarly it has been essential to study recent developments in Morocco2 in order to avoid embarrassment in our relations with France and Spain. The French Government regarded this question of sufficient importance to warrant the Counsellor of their Embassy in Dublin formally presenting to this Department, their side of the Moroccan problem.

  2. Anticipation of foreign policy in event of World War III e.g. in regard to British Naval Routing Officers, women and child refugees from Britain, meteorological facilities, US Air Force Routing Officers at Shannon Airport.
  3. Briefing of our own Minister on Parliamentary Questions, on certain political aspects of estimates debates and, in some cases, on press interviews and articles e.g. article in Westdeutsche Wirtschaft.
  4. Briefing of Missions abroad on international developments by interchange of selected edited reports amongst each other, the selection and editing being a matter for the Political Section.
  5. Briefing on foreign policy of Cabinet Ministers (other than our own Minister) travelling abroad e.g. briefing of the Tánaiste on his recent visit to Canada and the United States.
  6. Advising other Sections in this Department, particularly the International Organizations Section, on the political – as distinct from the technical – aspects of membership of international organisations e.g. delegates to Council of Europe meetings travelling as Ministers’ deputies or as experts on particular committees. This gives rise to continuous problems for the Political Section.
  7. Briefing of delegates from other Departments to meetings of international organizations such as ILO, WHO, CPA (Mr. Little at recent Montreal Conference), etc.
  8. Keeping up-to-date on developments in UNO for general information purposes and in anticipation of possible admission to that Organization.

    9. An arrangement is in operation with UNO by which we receive published documentation of the Organization. These publications are voluminous and entail very considerable reading as well as classification and filing.

  9. Advising other Departments on aspects of their work involving international relations e.g. Name of State, etc.
  10. Church – State relations e.g. Priest-Workers in France and religious persecution in Poland, Colombia, etc.
  11. Political aspects of trade with countries behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ e.g. Russian timber.

1 In 1954 McDonald was Counsellor in charge of the Political Section; however, the memorandum is unsigned.

2 France formally established a protectorate in northern Morocco in 1912, Spain having colonial interests in the south. In January 1954 Sultan Mohammed V, in dispute with the French resident general, went into exile and was replaced by the unpopular Mohammed Ben Aarafa, who was widely perceived as lacking authority. From this point active opposition spread to the French protectorate. In November 1955, following rising violence, Sultan Mohammed returned from exile, negotiating Moroccan independence from France in February 1956.



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