On Sunday last, October 17th an informal meeting was held at Chequers at which the Ministers of External Affairs and Finance of Ireland were present. In addition to Mr. Attlee the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations for the United Kingdom attended. Also present in addition to Mr. St. Laurent were Dr. Evatt and Mr. Peter Fraser.

2. The Irish Ministers made it perfectly clear at the outset of the discussion that there could be no question of reconsidering the decision to repeal the External Relations Act and that it was the firm view of the Government of Ireland that the establishment of genuinely friendly relations with the United Kingdom depended upon the removal of every vestige and every appearance of the former state of dependency. At the same time the Irish Government desired to maintain a special relationship or association with the Commonwealth.

3. Mr. Peter Fraser took exception to any course which might cast any reflection on the present Royal Family.

4. The United Kingdom Ministers in turn pointed out that the repeal of the External Relations Act, without any new link replacing it, would automatically make Ireland a foreign country, and would appear to make it difficult not to regard Irishmen in England as aliens. The United Kingdom Ministers, however, recognized that there were important reasons on both sides for seeking to preserve the special relationship.

5. Mr. St. Laurent suggested that the initiative in seeking a special form of association would presumably have to be taken by the Irish Government, that a special relationship might, in the first instance, be established with the United Kingdom, and that it might prove to be a pattern for special relations with other Commonwealth countries. Mr. St. Laurent also pointed out that a special relationship based upon reciprocal citizenship, while it might meet the Irish situation, might also cause embarrassment with the "newer Dominions". The United Kingdom Ministers indicated that they felt the newer Dominions would prove ready to retain the Crown as the instrument for the conduct of their external relations and that in so doing they might be considered to be preserving an adequate link which would constitute membership in the Commonwealth. The Lord Chancellor expressed the view that it would be preferable if the new link with Ireland could be constitutional rather than contractual. The United Kingdom Ministers hoped that the retention of the Crown for external purposes by India, Pakistan and Ceylon would be considered an adequate link, Mr. St. Laurent pointed out that he felt Canada would be prepared to accept "any kind of internal arrangement which suited the newer Dominions," and that we would almost certainly take the view that we had no more right to interfere in their domestic relations than we would be willing to give them to interfere in ours. He felt that an arrangement by which the Crown was regarded as the Head of State for external purposes would be considered adequate. Dr. Evatt concurred in this view and the impression was left that Mr. Fraser reluctantly did so too.

6. The Irish Ministers said that they would discuss with other members of the Government what kind of initiative might be taken to find a satisfactory principle of association with other nations of the Commonwealth. It was, however, apparent that little careful consideration had yet been given to the development of a constructive policy.