Dear Mr. Boland,

I was very glad to receive your letter of the 8th September,¹ which arrived here yesterday (21st inst) with some later correspondence.

The German Post Office does not censor letters addressed to the Legation, nor, so far as I am aware, does it open correspondence sent by us. We can send our correspondence for the Department to any address you wish. So far as I can find out here, the German Post Office places no difficulty in our way. The obstacle seems to be the British postal authorities. We receive the Irish newspapers, though irregularly, and occasionally I receive personal letters from Ireland.

Could you arrange permission through the International Postal Union for us to use mailbags in our correspondence with the Legation at the Holy See? I am sure that the Union would assist us.

I duly received the bank drafts for $5,000.

I informed the Foreign Office of the new order obliging our ships to fly the Irish flag, and no other: Mr. O'Donovan telephoned from Rome early in the month about it, and I took action at once. I asked for observations or comments, but so far I have received no questions.

Dr. Mahr, the Director of the National Gallery,² and Dr. Reinhard,³ the Director of Forestry, are still in Germany. Both of them wish to return to Ireland.

We are feeling in splendid form at the Legation. The Foreign Office arranged for us to get supplies of food, so we have no anxiety on that score. We are hoping that supplies will hold out well. If things disimprove, we may have to ask for your co-operation in sending out food to the starving garrison.

Please remember me to Mr. Walshe and to the Department in general.