Conversation with Dr. Evatt

On Tuesday, October 15th, Dr. Evatt motored from Sydney to Canberra, returning the same night. He called on me at the hotel without previous notice and was extremely friendly. He said that he would be happy to receive the letter of accredition [sic] which he understood I had brought. When he read it he expressed pleasure and thanks; and said that he would instruct his department to prepare a reply and to telephone the draft to him at Sydney. I said that a reply, if he wished, was not necessary; and then asked him about the letter for Mr. Dignam. He said that now, having seen Mr. de Valera's letter, he would arrange to have an identical letter sent to Mr. Dignam. He said that the British had intercepted Mr. Dignam's message and that he did not propose to be bound by anything they might say. With regard to a State reception in Dublin Castle, with the same ceremony as to other heads of missions, he fully approves; and said that Mr. Dignam should accept any honours accorded him by the Government of Ireland.

As to my official description here, he said 'We will give you whatever you want'. I said that 'Minister Plenipotentiary - Representative of Ireland in Australia' seemed to me correct and he agreed. He said that he dislikes the use of the word 'Éire', which I explained to him was a misuse, being the nominative case of the description in the Irish language of the national territory. He said that he understood and would not himself refer to Éire but to Ireland and would instruct his Department accordingly.

He gave me a copy of his book 'Foreign Policy of Australia' autographed: 'To Dr. T.J. Kiernan, welcoming a very distinguished Irishman to Australia'; and of his 'Australia in World Affairs' autographed 'To Dr. T. J. Kiernan, with affectionate regards'.