Sir,

I have the honour to advert to His Excellency the Governor General's despatch No. 105 of 13th April relative to the Conference contemplated by Article 6 of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, and to state that His Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State have received from their representatives a report regarding the unofficial discussions which took place between the experts on the 26th ultimo.¹

2. The considerations which arise out of this report are such as to require very careful examination before the discussions of the main Conference can usefully be resumed, and in view of the imminent dissolution of the Oireachtas this examination cannot be concluded during the term of office of the present Government.

3. I have accordingly to suggest that the meeting of the main Conference should be further postponed to a date which can be arranged when the examination by the Government of the Irish Free State of the matters in question has been completed.