With reference to your letter of 15th instant (S.7/11/46),¹ confirming your telegram of 14th instant² please bear in mind that the minister's views regarding the Chinese-Japanese dispute as set forth in our two minutes of 20th November remain unchanged.³ The minister especially desires to emphasise his view that the initiative in any action which might lead to the application of sanctions must come from the states which are intimately involved and which would have to bear the burden of their execution and that there must be complete agreement between those states before the Irish government could associate itself with any decision of that kind. In the very serious international position which is now developing at Shanghai etc. It is more than ever desirable that the minister's prior sanction should be obtained before you as representative of the Irish government exercise any initiative against Japan no matter how unwarranted the actions of the latter state may appear to be