Protest by German Chargé d'Affaires

The German Chargé d'Affaires, Herr Thomsen, came to see me by appointment this morning (Wednesday, 22nd February). He began by remarking that, although he liked the nice Spring weather, he found the people not so congenial as the Norwegian people amongst whom he had just been living. The reason for that was that the Norwegians were a Protestant people, and the Irish were almost exclusively Catholic, and, for that reason, dominated by the Clergy.

After this somewhat surprising and impudent beginning, he showed me a newspaper report of the Pastoral of Dr. Browne, Bishop of Galway¹ with a sentence marked in which the latter accuses Germany of violence, lying, murder and the condemning of other races and people. He proceeded to say that Dr. Brown had no right to discuss Germany's affairs. Moreover, it should be remembered that any measures taken against the Catholic Clergy in Germany were very largely due to the immorality of the priests. Germany's aim was to confine the Church to its own sphere, and to prevent the Clergy interfering in matters affecting the State exclusively.

The Chargé d'Affaires then produced a copy of the 'Irish Press' of Tuesday, 21st February, containing a leader attacking the anti-Christian element in German State doctrine and practice. As this paper was controlled by the Government Party, the Government would have to accept some responsibility for these attacks on Germany. The Government should remember that there were a great many things in Ireland which could be criticised by Germany, e.g., the extreme poverty of large numbers of the people, and the absence of any organised effort to remedy it.

I gave all the usual replies, and a little more, to this outburst, but I was careful to let him run his full length before replying, as it seemed to my mind important to get to know the type we have to deal with in Herr Thomsen. He is a complete contrast to Dr. Hempel, the German Minister, who - although sometimes lacking in a sense of humour - never allows you to forget that he is a cultured gentleman. Herr Thomsen is insolent, bombastic, and apparently devoid of any sense of the real values of life. He is the first German I have met who seems to combine in himself all the worst ideas behind the Nazi regime.

At the end of our conversation, I suggested to him, as I have frequently done to his Minister and his Minister's predecessor, that the setting-up² existence of a Nazi organisation in Dublin, no doubt representing the views he had expressed to me in the course of our interview and having as its chief member and organiser an employee of our State, was not calculated to improve relations between our two Governments. I could hardly imagine his Government tolerating a similar organisation in Germany. He answered, not quite in so many words, that the Nazi organisation in Dublin was really none of our business.

In my previous talks with the German representatives during the last three years, I endeavoured to convince them in the most friendly fashion that, as the measures against the Catholic Clergy in Germany increased in severity, antagonism was bound to develop here. In time our Catholic people and Clergy would begin to make public protests and the Government would be placed in a very awkward situation when the position of Dr. Mahr³, Director of the National Museum, as head of the Nazi Cell in Dublin, became a matter of public controversy. Dr. Hempel told me, in July, 1938, that Dr. Mahr was resigning from his leadership of the Cell, and I understand that Dr. Mahr so informed the Minister for Education⁴ about the same time. However, so recently as December last, Dr. Hempel told me that Dr. Mahr had not yet resigned his position in the organisation owing to unforeseen difficulties, but was about to do so immediately, and that he was to be replaced in that position by Herr Mecking⁵, who is an employee of the State (at least indirectly) under the Turf Board.

After Dr. Brown's Pastoral, we may expect an increase in anti-Nazi feeling and protests, and Dr. Mahr's position cannot fail to be brought into question at an early date. No ordinary Civil Servant is allowed to be a member of a political organisation, and it could not be regarded as an injustice if Dr. Mahr were ordered to cease his membership of the Nazi Cell.