Letter from Charles Bewley to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin)

Further to my telegram of Friday the 27th inst.¹

While I was waiting for His Eminence the Secretary of State, Monsignor Pizzardo appeared and said he had a cipher telegram to show His Eminence. This took about 30 minutes. On his departure I told the Secretary of State that Monsignor Pizzardo had told me on the previous Friday that the question of an apostolic delegate had been discussed in an Irish paper, and that this was so serious a matter for us that I had communicated to the Minister at Geneva that such a suggestion had been made and that he had been so disquieted that he had telegraphed me to come to Geneva to hear his view. Cardinal Gasparri said he had only returned yesterday and had heard nothing since his return. I asked him, as the question was of great importance to us, to allow me to put the view of the Government before him. I then pointed out that apart from the great disappointment which would be caused to the Irish Government and peoples by not sending a nuncio the non-inclusion of the Six Counties was the result of a treaty between Ireland and England, and that I was afraid that if a Nuncio was not appointed the suggestion would be made by irresponsible persons that the Holy See was unwilling to recognize the settlement made by the British as well as the Irish Government.

His Eminence seemed to appreciate the point, so I thought it well not to press this argument and asked him as whether I was possibly urging against a proposal which was not to be taken too seriously. He repeated that he had only returned on the previous night and had no new information, and added: 'Mais je sais que la pensée du Saint Père a toujours été de vous envoyer un Nonce'. He then said that it might take a little time. I said that next week I would venture to ask him again whether any information could be given for the Minister, even if not for publication, as to when the appointment would be made.

While the Secretary of State obviously had not had an audience with the Holy Father on the subject of the Irish Nuncio since his return, it appears to me likely that Monsignor Pizzardo told him something of my interview with him last week. I am therefore inclined to think that His Eminence's statement to me was as satisfactory as we can expect. I hope that as a result of this morning's interview I may receive something definite next week.