Extracts from a letter from Liam Cosgrave to John A. Costello (Dublin)

[matter omitted]

I have the definite impression that the British feel at the moment that they are under a cloud and are rather sensitive about their position. Last night, I was talking to Ramsbotham, of the British delegation, who is their No. 3 man but I am told the ablest. His father was formerly Minister for Education before Butler in the war-time Government, and later, as Lord Soulbury, last Governor General of Ceylon. He mentioned that they had been up until all hours in recent weeks and had very little sleep, that the five hours between London and New York times meant getting Ministers out of bed in London and vice versa. I then said, if you do things like you did recently, you can’t complain if you are kept out of bed. He laughed and said that was so.

There appears to be an impression here that there is too much talk in the United Nations and that talk is a poor substitute for action: also that the case of Hungary shows the need for something more than mere discussion. On the other hand, there is some evidence that public opinion is still a force and that the Russians are not entirely unresponsive to the force of world opinion. Of course, the remarkable thing about recent events was the Anglo-French action and particularly the timing. If this had not occurred, it is quite likely that the Russians would not have persisted in sending their forces into Hungary – at least not after they had withdrawn, following the early fighting. The British appeared to favour the idea of a permanent United Nations force. Others also have this idea. While it would be some form of international police force, in effect it would mean a UN force provided by the United States although the cost might be shared by member countries. This view may be canvassed more in the next few days.

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