Confidential Report from Timothy A. Smiddy to Patrick McGilligan (London)
(Confidential)

I interviewed Mr. Sidney Webb,¹ Secretary of State for the Dominions, and presented to him the compliments of my Government and of Mr. Cosgrave, and wished him on their behalf success in the administration of his office.

He made enquiries about the Irish Free State and asked if we were doing well. I assured him that it had done and was doing everything that was feasible to ensure its economic success. He said that at a meeting of the labour party in 1921 he was the first to mention the word 'treaty' between Great Britain and Ireland. At that time the Diehards would not tolerate the mention of the word 'treaty' between Great Britain and Ireland. He was glad to see that a Treaty had been made with success.

I referred to the satisfactory manner in which his predecessor had interpreted the spirit of the Treaty and of the Imperial Conference of 1926. He said that there were still 'many snags' in the development of its decisions, and 'if the Conservatives did their best to remove them, then we shall do more'. He did not specify the particular difficulties and anomalies to be removed.

He referred to the incident that arose in connection with the Trinity College Sports as regards the objection raised by the Governor-General to the playing of 'God Save the King'. He very much regretted the incident and said that newspapers will only aggravate it, and that everything should be done to prevent it being the occasion of engendering bad feeling and intensifying old animosities. He hoped that few references would be made to the incident before the House of Commons meets. Some of the Ulster Diehards, he said, may raise questions on the Royal Prerogatives, and, he said, 'who knows what they are'.

He mentioned that the King is not in good health and may be somewhat grieved at the incident, arising from the fact that 'he does not understand the implications of the arrangement of 1926'. He terminated the interview by saying that he will very much appreciate if I keep him informed of anything that will ease the situation: his followers and, he is sure, his ministers as well, will do everything to avoid giving prominence to the matter.