Sir, - May I add a small piece of information to augment Dick Walsh's interesting article about John A. Costello and the External Relations Act (The Irish Times, April 5th)?
In his memoirs, With Thy Blessing, my late father, Cedric W. Sowby, relates a conversation he had with John Hearne in 1950, when the latter was Ambassador in Washington. At that time my father had just taken up his appointment as principal of Upper Canada College in Toronto, after 15 years as warden of St Columba's College. My parents had known the Hearnes in Dublin, so they made a courtesy call on them during a visit to Washington. I quote from my father's description of what took place:
"His wife invited us to tea, explaining that the Ambassador had influenza, and was in bed. Suddenly, against his wife's orders, he appeared, clad in ambassadorial uniform of black jacket and grey striped trousers. Keeping his distance, and with a handkerchief held to his nose and mouth, he said he wanted to tell us the story of what happened in Ottawa. At that time he was Irish High Commissioner to Canada, and accompanied Mr Costello on a visit to Mr Mackenzie King, the Canadian Prime Minister. "When the three of them were alone, King asked: `Well, are you going to repeal the External Relations Act?' Mr Costello replied that he would like to do so, and had long believed that it ought to be done in the best interests of Ireland, but that the present government had no mandate for it. King replied: `We are quite content with our Dominion status and do not propose to make any change, but if, when you have had time to assess the situation as Prime Minister, you wish to repeal the External Relations Act, we will not oppose you at the Imperial Conference.'
"The next morning, a press conference was held at which Mr Hearne was present. The first question to Mr Costello was: `Mr Prime Minister, are you going to repeal the External Relations Act?' Mr Costello replied in much the same words as he had used at dinner the night before: `I'd like to . . . but'. Unfortunately, the pause before the `but' was a shade too long. Without waiting for the qualification, some of the correspondents dashed out of the room and telephoned the news to their papers. Mr Costello went on with his remarks of the previous evening, explaining that he had no mandate to do it yet, and the repeal must wait another general election. But it was too late - the message had already been broadcast to Europe.
"I have not heard the story elsewhere, but it was told me by the Irish Ambassador who witnessed these events. After delivering his bombshell, the Ambassador was escorted back to his sick bed by his wife. Admittedly he had a fever, but he certainly did not appear to be delirous nor suffering delusions when he told me the story."
In a review of Anthony Jordan's biography of Sean MacBride, Tony O'Riordan mentioned this account of my father's, adding: "It is doubtful if Sowby invented these stories." In a subsequent letter to The Irish Times I recalled my father telling me the story in the mid-1960s, and affirmed that he wasn't the sort of person to have invented it. I ended that letter by wondering whether John Hearne recorded the event in any official document. - Yours, etc. David Sowby,
Knocksinna Crescent, Dublin 18.