Letter from Michael MacWhite to Desmond FitzGerald (Dublin)
(M.L. 03/073) (Copy)

A Chara,

I beg to forward you herewith a Report on the work of the Second Passport Conference.¹ As you can see, very little, if any, progress was made towards the abolition of passports or even visas. Every movement in this direction was opposed by the British delegation, who would accept no modification of the present system.

Owing to the agreement relating to passports and visas existing between the Saorstát and Great Britain, I could take no initiative in the matter of making proposals tending towards a simplification of the actual passport regime, as such proposals would meet with the British opposition all along the line and would eventually be rejected. I did not, however, vote for any of the reactionary British propositions.

As far as I know, there was no preliminary meeting of the Delegates of the Commonwealth or if there was, it was without my knowledge.

The Conference did not adopt a Convention, but made recommendations and gave expression to certain desires. It can hardly be said to have gone further in the direction of the simplification of the Passport system than the Conference of 1920. I signed the recommendations 'ad referendum'.

I am sending you under separate cover the Verbatim Reports of the Conference, to which is annexed the Final Act.