Mr. [John J.] Hearne, the Irish High Commissioner, mentioned to me today the forthcoming visit to Canada of the Prime Minister of Ireland, Mr. [John A.) Costello. He had previously discussed this with Mr. St. Laurent and with Mr. Pearson.

He tells me that the history of the invitation is as follows. When Mr. John Hackett was elected President of the Canadian Bar Association in June, 1947, Mr. Hearne suggested to him that the Canadian Bar Association might invite a distinguished Irish lawyer to their next annual meeting. He mentioned Mr. George Gavan Duffy, the Chief Justice of Ireland. Nothing was done about this letter at the time, but later, following the elections in Ireland, Mr. Hackett suggested to Mr. Hearne that perhaps the invitation might go to Mr. Costello.

Mr. Hearne sounded out Mr. Costello not really thinking that he would accept; but he replied saying that he would accept an invitation.

The acceptance by Mr. Costello of the Canadian Bar Association's invitation is now, I understand, public property. No reference, however, has yet been made by the Press to his visiting Ottawa as the guest of the Canadian Govemment.

It is probable that Mr. Costello will spend about two weeks in Canada, fairly well equally divided between Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec and Toronto. He will go to Montreal first, and will probably then stay with the Govemor General either in Quebec or in Ottawa. The Prime Minister will no doubt give a dinner for him at the Country Club while he is in Ottawa, and when he goes to Toronto, he will, I assume, be staying with the Lieutenant Governor.

So far, no official invitation has been issued by the Canadian Government. Mr. Hearne will be seeing the Minister about this very soon and it may be that we should shortly regularize the invitation in the usual way Meanwhile, there is nothing to be said to the Press on the subject.

I understand that Mr. Costello will be spending the last week in August and the first in September in Canada.³³

ESCOTT REID

³³Selon une note de Reid pour Saint-Laurent, en date du 17 juin, qui se trouve dans le même dossier, le premier ministre fut mis au courant et la suggestion lui fut faite d'inviter Costello à rendre visite à Ottawa à titre d'invité du Gouvernement canadien.
According to a memorandum from Reid to St. Laurent (June 17) on the same file, the Prime Minister was advised and the suggestion was made that Costello be invited to visit Ottawa as the guest of the Canadian Government.