Doussinagüe¹ – verbal reply which I purpose to give when necessary: The Irish Govt. views with sympathy and friendly understanding the attitude of the Spanish Govt. with its high motives and Catholic inspiration but considers it advisable under existing circumstances and at the present juncture to refrain from associating itself publicly with any group of nations.

I understood the above to be the sense of Taoiseach's remarks to me on 8 April 1943 on eve of my return to Spain, but I was not given any precise instructions and no written aide mémoire was deemed necessary.

P.S. I asked the Taoiseach twice to tell me what reply I should give, but, on each occasion, he did not go beyond explaining our attitude generally in regard to the position; he did not give me any instructions.