Extract from memorandum by John A. Costello

The Swedish Minister, His Excellency Folke Sunesson Wennerberg,¹ called upon me this morning. His stated reason for the call was to congratulate me on the success of the American visit. Having done so, he proceeded to discuss a number of matters.

He said he was particularly interested in the statement that I had made in one or more of the speeches which I had made in the United States to the effect that Ireland’s role might be to act as interpreter of the West to the United States of America and of the United States to the West. He said he would like to amend that by suggesting that the word ‘East’ should be inserted instead of the United States of America. That we could act as interpreter of the West to the East, and vice versa. He said that was in accordance with the Swedish policy. He went on to deal with the line that had been taken by Sweden in not involving themselves with any of the big countries. He thought that they were gaining more and more recognition of the success of this policy. I said that it had occurred to me that, as part of our foreign policy, it would be very desirable if Ireland and the other smaller nations of Western Europe could collaborate on lines of policy. He expressed agreement with this view and referred to the successful co-operation in what he called the Nordic Council, consisting of the Scandinavian countries and Finland. He said that Finland had not been permitted to join this Council by Russia until recently but that now Finland was a member of the Council.

He also said he would like clarification of the speeches I had made in reference to whether or not the issue of Partition would be raised by us at UNO. I gave him a clear indication of what I said in this connection in my speeches and in answer to questions and told him that an Independent Deputy had put down a Question to me in the Dáil about it and that the answer I would give would probably clarify the matter for him.²

[matter omitted]

He spoke of the Foreign Minister, Mr. Unden. I informed him that I had met Mr. Unden when I was attending the Assembly of the old League of Nations at Geneva where he had taken a very prominent part in the proceedings.