Mr. Blythe.

Before you leave I want you to give your personal attention to a matter which has been the subject of official correspondence between the Department of External Affairs and your Department, culminating in two urgent letters dated 15th¹ and 24th inst.² sent to your Department on my instructions, to which, however, no reply has been received.

   It relates to the position of Mr. Seán Murphy who has been acting as Assistant Secretary of the latter Department for the past four years. The whole brunt of the Department, which involves highly technical work of a nature in which ordinary precedents are of little value - and which requires specialised knowledge and judgment of very high order - has during that time been borne by him jointly with Mr. Walshe, who was recently appointed Secretary of the Department.

The value of their work and the importance of their responsibilities were fully appreciated by our delegates to the last Imperial Conference. The valuable memoranda furnished by them for the information of the delegates, were a striking proof of the study, zeal and ability brought by these officers to bear on their very difficult task. As you are aware, these memoranda were of considerable value even to the Canadian delegates, in spite of the advantages enjoyed by the latter by reason of their long experience and numerous technical staff.

Mr. Walshe's position has now been regularised and in my opinion it is due to Mr. Murphy that his also should be placed on a proper footing now.

Mr. Walshe leaves Dublin to attend the assembly of the League of Nations on 1st September (the day after tomorrow) and it is my wish that Mr. Murphy should be definitely appointed Assistant Secretary before that date.

Will you please have this done now.