I am directed by the Acting Minister¹ to forward herewith, for your information, a copy of an instruction sent to the Heads of Missions abroad with regard to the entry into operation of The Republic of Ireland Act on the 18th April.²

It is not necessary to address any official communication on this matter to the British Government. They already know that the 18th April has been appointed as the date of entry into operation of the Act, as well as of the Government's desire that the description of the State provided in Section 2 of the Act should be used in referring to this country in future. The Government would appreciate it, however, if an appropriate message of goodwill were received from Great Britain on the 18th April. A message from King George to the President would be particularly welcome. If this presented difficulties, a message from the British Prime Minister to the Taoiseach would be appreciated. We already know that many foreign countries intend sending messages, and the omission of Great Britain from the list would carry an implication which we are sure the British would be no less anxious than ourselves to counter. I should be grateful, therefore, if you would be good enough to give this matter early attention and to do everything possible to arrange for the sending of a message on the lines indicated above.

I am also to request you to be good enough to address a written communication, on the lines of the attached copy of my Note of today's date to the Netherlands Chargé d'Affaires in Dublin,³ to the diplomatic representatives in London of Norway, Denmark, Finland, Luxemburg, Iceland, Ethiopia, Liberia, Transjordan and Burma. I should be glad if this could be done as soon as possible. An additional supply of copies of the Act is being sent to you in case you require them for the purpose. The Acting Minister is most anxious that the messages of goodwill sent to the President on the 18th April should be as numerous as possible. I am, accordingly, particularly to request you to convey to the diplomatic representatives of each of the countries just mentioned the suggestion contained in the penultimate paragraph of our instruction to the Heads of Missions abroad.⁴ If you can do this by personal call, so much the better. If you find it impossible to make time for this, however, perhaps you could arrange to do it by telephone call or personal letter.

An appropriate notification of the entry into operation of the Act is being conveyed officially to the Canadian and Australian Governments through Mr. Hearne and Dr. Kiernan, respectively. I am to request you to be good enough to send an official Note to the representatives in London of South Africa, New Zealand, India, Pakistan and Ceylon, enclosing a copy of the Act, for the information of their Governments, and:-

• informing them that the 18th April has been appointed by the Government as the date of entry into operation of the Act;
• inviting their attention to the provisions of Section 2 of the Act whereby the description of the State is declared to be the Republic of Ireland; and
• informing them of the Government's decision that the entry into operation of the Act does not necessitate the re-accredition of existing diplomatic representatives in Dublin and Irish diplomatic representatives abroad.

The Acting Minister would be glad if you would also approach the representatives of these Commonwealth countries and suggest to them, in whatever way seems to you best, that a message of goodwill on the 18th April from their Prime Ministers to the Taoiseach would be very welcome.

Countries other than those mentioned above, and other than those with which we are in direct diplomatic relations, are being notified by the representatives in Washington and Paris.