Extract from a handwritten letter from Desmond FitzGerald to Mabel FitzGerald (Dublin)

My dear Mabel,

When we got to the Assembly yesterday afternoon it was very wearisome - but fairly short as there was nobody ready to speak - a rare event here. MacWhite gave a dinner in the evening to the Canadians. We got home late from it. This morning Assembly full of feeble speeches. But in the lobby Bernard Shaw appeared. Immediately an enormous crowd round him. When he saw me and Cippiso he said that we were just the men he wanted to see. I told him that we were asking him to dinner, that he would have to come - he began to demur but Mrs Shaw said he'd have to so he agreed. Mrs Shaw saw Briand and I asked would they like to meet him - obvious they would so I went and spoke [to] Briand who said he would like to meet Shaw so I introduced them, they spoke a while together. Then I was mobbed by journalists to know all about the conversation.

That was the big event of the morning. I am to phone the Shaws to know their engagements - as they want us to lunch with them.

Madariaga is here. I had a good talk with him and Cippiso. Those meetings are the redeeming features of this place. Of course we are getting filled up with engagements. I have to speak to a student's union tomorrow about Ireland. A Miss Troddyn came round to ask me.

[matter omitted]