I had long interview with J. Hickerson, Bob Stewart, and discussed contents of your tel. 109.¹ They seemed to think that they can make little difference. The reason Gray objected to security men was because he did not want on his staff people who might be engaging in all sorts of activities he would not know about and who might be doing the damnedest things to queer relations between two peoples as they had done elsewhere.

I gathered that State Department is opposed to Security people because of such activities elsewhere.

They emphasised that Gray was not responsible for the Note and that it did not emanate solely from State Department. The Chiefs of Army and Navy, that is superior officers of Security people you mention, were in on its drawing-up.

There is not the slightest chance President Roosevelt or Secretary of State will make statement you mentioned anyhow. The central facts are that, with all the co-operation on security in the world, they would not be easy in their minds as long as nerve centres of espionage, Axis representatives are still in Ireland.

They said, if I saw Secretary of State, answer would be the same, and also there was not slightest chance Gray would be removed. He has been actuated all along solely by desire to see that nothing should occur which would disturb good relations existing between two countries.