Confidential report from Frederick H. Boland to Seán Murphy (Dublin)
(Confidential)

I had a short conversation with the Home Secretary (Major Lloyd George) at the dinner at Buckingham Palace last night in honour of the President of Portugal.

2. Major Lloyd George spoke about his recent visit to the Six Counties. He said that unlike most of his Ministers, Lord Brookeborough seemed relatively unconcerned about the revival of IRA activity. His main worry seemed to be the threat of unemployment in the Six Counties and, in comparison, he displayed no more than a moderate degree of anxiety about the IRA menace. Major Lloyd George said that the Ministers of the Six County Government principally concerned, as well as the Heads of the RUC, seemed to be convinced that any IRA activity in future was more likely to take place in Britain than in the Six Counties. So far as he could remember, they did not give him any reason for this conviction. They warned him, however, that further IRA attacks in Britain were, in their view, certain to take place.
3. Major Lloyd George said that if there were further raids in this country, such as that which took place at Arborfield – and particularly if there was shooting and people were killed or wounded – there was likely to be a very strong reaction on the part of British public opinion and the British Government would probably find itself forced to take some action. There was already a considerable volume of feeling that the freedom with which Irish citizens and immigrants from certain parts of the Commonwealth were allowed to enter this country was altogether excessive and should be tightened up. I asked Major Lloyd George whether he meant that, if the IRA raids continued, he might find himself obliged to reimpose the travel permit system. I added that if the British Government took this step, it would probably be very unpopular with our people generally and the IRA would not gain any kudos for having provoked it. Major Lloyd George said that he hoped it would not be necessary for them to go as far as that. The re-imposition of the travel permit system would be very cumbrous and costly. What he had in mind rather was that the British Government might find it necessary to take powers which would enable them to deport back to Ireland Irish people here who engaged in, or were suspected of, IRA activity.
4. I took the opportunity to speak to Major Lloyd George about the way in which the prosecution of the three Arborfield raiders was conducted and the severity of the sentences imposed upon them by Mr. Justice Cassels.² I said that the Prosecuting Counsel’s opening speech and the severe sentences imposed by the judge, played right into the hands of the IRA and were an enormous help to their propaganda. They contrasted very unfavourably with the manner in which recent IRA trials in the Six Counties had been conducted. Major Lloyd George said he would make a note of this and have a talk about it with his people. He agreed that the points I made might be important.
5. Major Lloyd George went on to say that he had recently been closely engaged with the Jack Spot case³ and he had been greatly impressed with the close and efficient co-operation which existed between the two police forces in dealing with cases of that kind. Was there no chance, he asked, of similar co-operation in connection with IRA offences? I said that as he probably knew, I had discussed that matter recently with the Lord Privy Seal and had explained to him the attitude of our Government with regard to it.⁴
6. Major Lloyd George, with whom I had a good deal to do when he was Minister for Food, is always friendly and well disposed. I fancy that, if the British Government is faced with the problem of increased IRA activity here, he will approach it more calmly and objectively than some of his Tory colleagues.