Memorandum from Joseph P. Walshe to Patrick McGilligan (Dublin)

Mr. Abbott, the American Chargé d'Affaires, called this morning. He has received a confidential telegram from the Secretary of State asking him to request you to ratify the Pact at the first possible moment.

You will remember that the Secretary of State had already made a similar request through our Washington Legation.

You replied that the Government would submit the Pact to the Dáil for Ratification at the opening of the new session. I have repeated this assurance to Mr. Abbott on your behalf, but as he was asked to see you personally, he would like to have a few moments talk with you on Wednesday. Meanwhile, perhaps you would like to mention the matter to the Cabinet tomorrow, so that we can now make the necessary preparations to have the resolution approving ratification passed in both Houses on the 20th.

Mr. Kellogg goes out of office on the 4th March. He wants to have his Pact completed by that date. If the Dáil and Senate approve the ratification on the 20th, we can at once so inform the Secretary of State. The actual document of Ratification with the King's signature would probably not reach the State Department before the 1st March, but the act of the Dáil and Senate will have, for American political purposes, greater value than the document itself.