Dáil Éireann Report on Propaganda
(Copy)

Since the last meeting of An Dail the interest in Irish information has become much more widespread. The chief American News Agencies have now special representatives in Ireland as well as their resident correspondents.

Certain American papers also maintain special correspondents here more or less permanently. This is valuable as the point of view of these press men usually improves the longer they stay here.

During this period also representatives of chief Continental papers chave visited Ireland. These men all report a growing interest in Irish affairs in their respective countries. Often for political reasons they avoid declaring themselves definitely pro-Republican. But on the whole they write in a way that is quite satisfactory to us and decidedly unsatisfactory to the enemy.

The British Foreign Office now advises Foreign Pressmen against coming to Ireland. British Embassies have in some cases protested against the news of Ireland in Foreign Press and in others have gone so far as to refuse visas for passports of pressmen who have written on Ireland. This action of the English Government has been helpful to us.

The Foreign Press makes considerable use of the Irish Bulletin. During the last three months the world's newspapers have given more space to Ireland than in the previous two years. Most of the special articles written have been based on information contained in the Bulletin.

During the last few months most interest was shown with regard to:-

The endurance and death of Alderman MacSwiney received extraordinary publicity and impressed the world with the heroic nature of Ireland's struggle against England.

The so-called 'Reprisals' have been most damaging to England's prestige.

The Truce Talk had associated with it suggestions that Ireland was prepared to surrender, which were damaging to us. But this has been overcome to a large extent by the return of the President.

At the last meeting of Dail Eireann the Members were asked to arrange for the collection of information concerning enemy acts in their constituencies. With one or two notable exceptions this was not done.