Volume 4 1932~1936


Doc No.
Date
Subject

No. 344 NAI 2003/17/181

Letter from John W. Dulanty to Joseph P. Walshe (Dublin) enclosing a letter
from Lord Wigram
(Secret)

London, 16 June 1936

I enclose herewith a letter dated 13th June from the King's Private Secretary.

At a Luncheon today Mr. Malcolm MacDonald approached me and said that he would like to say, on the ground of courtesy, that he had today received a letter from Lord Wigram, which letter, he said, simply acknowledged the receipt of his (Mr. Mac Donald's) letter and concluded with a sentence to the effect that if matters of common concern arose between the two countries, the King hoped that they would be settled in a spirit of co-operation and goodwill.

[signed] J.W. Dulanty
High Commissioner

[enclosure]

Dear High Commissioner,

I have laid before The King the memorandum, which you handed to me on the 10th June,1 in which Mr. de Valera gave an outline of his proposals regarding the amendment of the Constitution of the Irish Free State.

His Majesty would be glad if you would let Mr. de Valera know that he has taken note of this information. His Majesty is in doubt as to the scope of the proposals and their constitutional effect in relation to the position of the Irish Free State in the British Commonwealth.

The King has since been informed by his Ministers in the United Kingdom that, as a matter of courtesy, they have been acquainted by Mr. de Valera with the substance of the memorandum presented to His Majesty. The King hopes that, should matters of common concern arise, they will be settled in a spirit of cooperation and goodwill.

Yours sinerely,
[signed] Wigram