Dear Freddie,
The newspapers have recently published an announcement by your Department to the effect that the Governments of India and Ireland have agreed to exchange diplomatic missions. We have not, however, any record of a decision by the Government that a mission should be established in India, and I should be glad to learn of the circumstances in which the announcement was published.

I would refer, in this connection, to my letter of the 5th February, 1946 to Walshe,¹ in which I reminded him of the procedure whereby the approval of the Government is sought in advance in the case of the establishment of new diplomatic missions abroad (your papers:- 318/13). You will recollect that, in the recent case of the proposed Legation in the Netherlands, your Department submitted the matter formally to the Government by means of a memorandum.

Mr. Gallagher,
I think that on our side this was only a gesture and that there is no intention of us implementing it at any foreseeable date. Nevertheless we should perhaps have consulted D/Finance before issuing the statement.