Timothy A. Smiddy to Desmond FitzGerald (Dublin)
(M/Sp. 135/25) (Copy)

My dear Minister:

Passport Visas.

With reference to cable of June 11th¹ advising your reconsideration of discontinuance of the endorsement: 'This visa does not entitle holder to disembark in the Irish Free State prior to landing in Great Britain,' I beg to state that this endorsement was prompted by the fact that:

(1) Some U.S.A. travellers who obtained visas from British Consuls other than the Consul-General at New York did not seek an Irish Free State visa, though they intended to land in the first instance at an Irish Free State port.

(2) Some travellers also felt that provided they had the visa of Great Britain - to whom they paid the fee - and the Free State they were free to change their minds on ship and disembark in the first instance at Cobh.

If this belief were to persist it will be likely to become sufficiently extensive to bring about a substantial decrease in the visa receipts because there would be no advantage in paying the visa fee to the Irish Free State if the traveller has in practice the choice while 'en route' to land either at an Irish Free State or a British port.

As custom is working in favour of the continuance of the British Visa for the Irish Free State - the necessity for an Irish Free State visa not being generally known to some intending travellers - the endorsement in question was devised to expedite its discontinuance and to ensure the payment of visa fees by all the U.S.A. travellers from the port of New York to the Irish Free State.

In this connection I wish to point out that everything possible has been done to give publicity to the existence of an Irish Free State Passport Control Office at New York and to the necessity for all U.S.A., and other aliens sailing from that port for the Irish Free State to have their passports visaed at that office.

I would again respectfully draw your attention to my previous correspondence on the necessity for the issue of Irish Free State passports;² and I would point out that if it is decided to issue them that power should be given to issue them for applicants in all parts of the U.S.A.; this will avoid the incongruities that exist with regard to our ability to issue visas only to those sailing from the Port of New York. I am of opinion that the question of issuing visas to all suitable applicants in the U.S.A., it matters not from what port they sail, should have your esteemed consideration.