John Chartres to George Gavan Duffy (Dublin)
(M.F.A. 1/1922 (New Series)) (Copy)

A Chara,
I regret to be obliged to bring the following circumstances to your attention.

Shortly after his arrival here Mr. Bewley became acquainted with Mr. Briscoe, who for a considerable time past has been engaged upon special work for the Irish government. Subsequently Mr. Bewley visited a music-hall in Berlin (the Tauenzien Palast) and in the bar where both he and Mr. Briscoe are known, expressed his antipathy to Mr. Briscoe - who is a Jew - so violently that he was obliged to leave the premises. Later, he apologised to Mr. Briscoe and also returned to the music-hall where he apologised to the proprietor for the scene he had caused and the offence he had given to customers present.

On receiving a complaint in writing from Mr. Briscoe I saw Mr. Bewley and asked him whether he wished to give me a statement which might be forwarded to headquarters simultaneously with the complaint. This he did, and copies of both documents are attached.¹ In conversation with me Mr. Bewley admitted the unfortunate character of his conduct. He added that he did not intend to visit that particular resort again and that he would avoid public incidents of any such kind in future.

I have no alternative but to report to you this affair, brought officially to my notice in Mr. Briscoe's written complaint. I am bound to add that such behaviour in a public place by a gentleman known to represent officially a department of the Irish government reflects injuriously upon our country's reputation here. Moreover, an anti-Semitic outburst by an Irish official in a country where Jews are very numerous and very influential was an extraordinary indiscretion from the point of view of Irish material interests. I should be sorry to press the matter so as to cause Mr. Bewley permanent injury but on Public grounds I must express the opinion that if it were possible to transfer him to some other sphere of activity such a step would correct the mischief that has been done, and would be in the interest of decorum, national dignity and commercial prudence. At present all of these interests have suffered at Mr. Bewley's hands.