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Volume 7 1941~1945

Doc No.
Date
Subject

No. 620  NAI DFA Secretary's Files A67

Memorandum by Joseph P. Walshe concerning
a meeting with the Papal Nuncio, Paschal Robinson

DUBLIN, 17 July 1945

The Nuncio informed me last evening that the Holy See had sent him a telegram stating that:-

  1. the Allied authorities did not recognise the diplomatic character of ex-Representatives of Germany. They would have to be sent back to Germany and would be detained by the Allied authorities until sent back;
  2. the Allied authorities were requesting the return of military refugees – who would be treated as prisoners of war;
  3. the Vatican wanted to know Irish attitude.

I told the Nuncio that -

(a) we had turned down a suggestion made by the British that the ex-German Minister and his staff should be returned to Germany; but that the ex-German Minister did not himself claim any diplomatic privileges, once having informed us that his Mission had come to an end. Furthermore, we were treating Dr. Hempel with special consideration in view of his ex-diplomatic status.

(b) we were returning the Service internees to Germany, but on condition that they should not, at any time, be treated as prisoners of war, and that they should be sent to the British or American zone, and would not be sent to any other zone against their will.

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