Minute from Brendan O'Riordan to Michael Rynne (Dublin)

From the purely political, as distinct from the protocol or economic points of view, I propose, if you agree, to tell Mr. Horan that we have no observations to offer on the subject of the note of 5th May, 1954,¹ from the South African High Commissioner’s Office at London to our Ambassador there proposing that the Senior Trade Commissioner for South Africa in London should also be charged by his Government with the function of promoting trade between the Union of South Africa and Ireland; and that he should be facilitated by us in so doing.

Admittedly there are ideological objections to the anti-Catholic outlook of the Malan² Government, as well as to its apartheid policy. On the other hand, the independent attitude vis á vis Britain adopted by the Malan Government in regard to (a) the three British Protectorates in South Africa (Basutoland, Bechuanaland, Swaziland), and (b) the position of South Africa within the British Commonwealth are political reasons why we should perhaps encourage the present proposal.