Extract from a letter from John J. Hearne to Seán Murphy (Dublin)
(Personal and Confidential)

I am sure you have been wondering why you have not heard from me before now following the Taoiseach’s visit to the United States. I have been for nearly a week in the throes of a major dental operation. It should have taken place between the departure of the Tánaiste and the arrival of the Taoiseach. But many things, as you can imagine, had to be attended to in the interval and the Lord Mayor¹ arrived unexpectedly to stay at the Embassy. So the operation had to be postponed.

The Taoiseach’s visit was an historic event, splendidly timed. And it was a tremendous success, as one would expect. He created a profound impression both by his addresses – in particular his address to the House of Congress² – and his conversations with so many distinguished Americans. The theme of all his addresses could be said to be the same, namely, the reality of Irish American friendship. He re-affirmed again and again the historical bases of Irish American relations, our debt to the American people and our contribution to the intellectual and cultural life of the American Nation. He referred to the places of trust and responsibility which our people occupy here today in the professions, as well as in commerce, in industry, and so on. And he stressed the role which our representatives would play in the United Nations in the search for peace in co-operation with the representatives of the United States.

I understand that Mr. Murray³ is preparing the draft of the Taoiseach’s report of the visit for the Cabinet. If there is any matter in connection with the visit on which you would wish me to report to you please let me know. I accompanied the Taoiseach when he called on the President and when he called on the Deputy Secretary of State. These were strictly formal calls and nothing was said in the course of the conversations which took place that the Minister or you would regard as of particular interest to our Department.

The Taoiseach made a speech at the luncheon given by President Eisenhower in his honour on the 14th March. This was in reply to a very friendly welcoming speech by the President. The Taoiseach replied very happily and warmly. He thanked the President for his gracious hospitality and for the tremendous welcome he had been accorded by the American people.

There were brief speeches also at the luncheon given by the Vice-President Nixon⁴ on the 16th March. Mr. Nixon handles his speeches on complimentary occasions extremely well. He asked me at luncheon whether the Prime Minister would mind if he sought his views on any international problems now occupying the attention of the United States Government. I said that I was sure the Taoiseach would be glad to offer his views off the record. Everything said on the occasion – the lunch was a very pleasant affair – was, of course, off the record. Mr. Nixon then asked me what I thought of the banishment of Archbishop Makarios from Cyprus by the British. I said that I thought it was a blunder. ‘Will these people ever learn?’, Mr. Nixon asked of himself rather than of me. Then speaking across the table to the Taoiseach, who sat opposite our host, the Vice President said: ‘Mr. Prime Minister, would you care to offer us any advice on a matter which has been so much occupying our attention recently and on which our policy might be said to be in a state of flux – I mean Cyprus’. The Taoiseach said that he spoke with some diffidence about a matter with which he had not been directly connected, but that it seemed to him that all experiences had shown that when people demand their freedom it will have to be given to them in the long run. A whole lot of bitterness and suffering, and bad feeling in the future, is avoided if freedom is not withheld until long after it should have been accorded.

At the question time after his address to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on the 28th March, the Taoiseach said that, generally speaking, Ireland would support the claims of subject peoples struggling for freedom short of supporting such a claim where independence would result in adding to the number of countries behind the Iron Curtain.

You will observe that I have not put the Taoiseach’s remarks (here reported) at the Vice-President’s luncheon or at the Council on Foreign Relations in quotation marks. If you have need to refer to them at any time you should carefully check with the Taoiseach himself on the words he actually used. I have, however, given you the sense of his remarks as I recall them; but I took no note on either occasion. You will have in mind that there were other answers given at question time on the 28th March which are not referred to here. I chose the one recorded here as it is relevant to the Taoiseach’s observations on the 16th March on Cyprus.

On Saturday morning the 24th March the Taoiseach, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Murray, the Consul General, Mr. Brennan and myself were received by the Secretary General of the United Nations at the UN Building. There was a brief talk by Mr. Hammarskjöld on the composition of our Permanent Delegation. Copies of the booklet ‘Permanent Missions to the United Nations’ (which you have), were available and the Secretary General referred to the size of the Delegations of some of the smaller countries like his own. He thought it would be better for us not to send too large a Delegation at the beginning. Norway has a Delegation consisting of an Ambassador, a Counsellor, a First and Second Secretary of Embassy. As the work of the Delegation would grow its staff would increase. It would be better to begin with a small (but adequate) staff and increase it when necessary rather than to have to cut a too large initial staff. Mr. Hammarskjöld thought that the Permanent Delegation should be appointed long enough before the Assembly meets in November so as to give them time to familiarize themselves with the items on the Assembly agenda and thus be in a position to brief the Assembly Delegation.

The Taoiseach was impressed with the idea of appointing a first class man to head the Permanent Delegation. His attention was drawn here to the fact that a Permanent Irish Delegation commensurate in size with those of the other small Nations with which Ireland is usually compared might not be adequate. For one thing, no small European Nation has American associations as striking as Ireland has had and continues to have in the astounding phenomenon of the Irish in the United States. But the more relevant point is that a great deal is expected of the Irish representatives in the United Nations. Nothing could exceed the enthusiasm which our election to UNO in December evoked. Many of the problems now before the United Nations, or pending, are problems on which Ireland is looked to for leadership, or at all event, guidance having regard to her past and present experience and history. The Taoiseach was deeply impressed by all this, and by the consequent necessity for appointing a first class Permanent Delegation. (I think he intends, that it will be composed of career public servants, although, I imagine, there are non-service aspirants to the post of Head of the Delegation). One thing is certain, namely, that if the Delegation is inadequate in the ability and character of its membership, or is not properly financed and housed to do its important and exacting work the hopes raised for it and for Ireland’s contribution by our friends everywhere will soon be dashed.

[matter omitted]