Evening star., 1944-03-11
Text of H. S. Note to Fire on Axis Diplomatic Agents

] ext OF u. y.
The tert OF the State Depart
n1ent's note to Prime Minister
De Valera OF Fire on United
States demands that it close ATis
consular Offices tollo,os:
Your excellency will recall that in
your speech at Cork, delivered on
the 14th of December, l941, you ex-
pressed sentiments of special friend
ship for the American people on the
occasion of their entry into the pres
ent war and closed by saying, The
policy of the state remains un-
changed. We can only be a friendly
neutral
AS you will also recall, extracts
of this speech were transmitted to
the President by your Minister in
Washington. The President, while
conveying his appreciation for this
expression of friendship, stated his
confidence that the Irish govern
ment and the Irish people, whose
freedom is at stake no less than ours,
would know how to meet their re-
sponsibilities in this situation.
Axis Powers Aided.
1t has become increasingly appar-
ent that despite the declared desire
of the Irish government that its
neutrality should not operate in
favor of either of the belligerents,
it has, in fact, operated and con-
tinues to operate in favor of the
Axis powers and against the United
Nations, on whom your security and
the maintenance of your national
economy depend.
One of the gravest and most in
equitable results of this situation is
the opportunity for highly organ
lied espionage which the geographic
cal position of Ireland affords the
Axis and denies the United Nations.
Situated as you are in close
proximity to Britain, divided only
by an intangible boundary from
Northern Ireland, where are situ-
ated important American bases,
with continuous traffic to and from
both countries, Axis agents enjoy
almost unrestricted opportunity for
bringing military information of
vital Importance from Great Britain
and Northern Ireland into Ireland
and from there transmitting it by
various routes and methods to Ger
many.
No opportunity corresponding to
this Is open to the United Nations,
for the Axis has no military dispo-
sitions which may be observed from
Ireland.
Good Faith Not Questioned.
We do not question the good faith
Of the Irish government in its
efforts to suppress Axis espionage.
Whether or to what extent it has
succeeded in preventing acts of es-
pionage against American shipping
and American forces In Great
Britain and Northern Ireland Is, of
course, impossible to determine with
certainty.
Nevertheless, it is fact that
German and Japanese diplomatic
and consular representatives still
continue to reside in Dublin and
enjoy the special privileges and i'm
munities customarily accorded to
such officials.
That Axis representatives in
neutral countries use these special
privileges and immunities as a cloak
for espionage activities against the
United Nations has been demon
strated over and over again.
It would be naive to assume that
Axis agencies have not exploited
conditions to the full in Ireland as
they have in other countries. It is
our understanding that the Ger
man Legation in Dublin, until re-
Gently at least, has had in its
possession a radio sending set. This
is evidence of the intention Of the
German government to use this
means Of communication.
Supporting evidence is furnished
by the two parachutists equipped
with radio-sending sets recently
dropped on your territory by Ger
man planes.
Cites Military Preparations.
AS you know from common report,
United Nations military operations
are in preparation in both Britain
and Northern Ireland. It Is vital
that information from which may
be deduced their nature and direc-
ton should not reach the enemy.
Not only the success Of the opera
tions but the lives of thousands of
United Nations soldiers are at
stake.
We request, therefore, that the
Irish government take appropriate
steps for the recall of German and
japanese representatives in Ireland.
We should be lacking In candor if
we did not state our hope that this
action will take the form Of sever
ance of all diplomatic relations be-
tween Ireland and these countries.
You will, of course, readily under
stand the compelling reasons why
we ask as an absolute minimum the
removal of these Axis representa-
tives, whose presence in Ireland
must, inevitably, be regarded as con-
stituting danger to the lives of
American soldiers and to the sue.
cess of Allied military operations.
1t is hardly necessary to point out
that time is of extreme Importance
and that we trust your excellency
will favor us with your reply at
your early convenience.
Text of De VoIero's Reply
Rejecting American Request
FOLLOWING is the tert OF the
Irish governments note of re-