Volume 2 1922~1926


Doc No.
Date
Subject

No. 297 NAI DFA 417/105

Joseph P. Walshe to Michael MacWhite (Geneva)

DUBLIN, 18 December 1924

A Chara,

I am instructed by the Minister of External Affairs to request you to be good enough to hand the enclosed Note to Sir Eric Drummond immediately on receipt.

Le meas,
[copy letter unsigned]
Rúnaí

P.S. It is presumed that the note will be circulated to all the Members of the League. Perhaps it would be well to make sure that no hitch will occur in that procedure on this occasion. The Minister would be glad to learn from you that the practice will be followed.

J.W.

[enclosure]
Joseph P. Walshe to Sir Eric Drummond (Geneva)

DUBLIN, 19 December 1924

Sir,

I am directed by the Minister for External Affairs to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 8th instant, enclosing copy of the letter addressed to you by the British Government concerning the Registration of the Treaty concluded between Great Britain and Ireland on the 6th December, 1921.1

The Government of the Irish Free State cannot see that any useful purpose would be served by the initiation of a controversy as to the intentions of any individual signatory to the Covenant. The obligations contained in Article 18 are, in their opinion, imposed in the most specific terms on every member of the League and they are unable to accept the contention that the clear and unequivocal language of that Article is susceptible of any interpretation compatible with the limitation which the British Government now seek to read into it.

They accordingly dissent from the view expressed by the British Government that the terms of Article 18 are not applicable to the Treaty of 6th December, 1921.

I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
[signed] J.P. WALSHE
Secretary

1 Not printed.