asked the Taoiseach if he will state whether it is his intention to depart from the country in the immediate future; if so, if he will state for what purpose and for what length of time; whether he proposes to be accompanied by other members of the Oireachtas, or civil servants, or other persons, and, if so, if he will state the names of such persons, the official or other positions occupied by them, and the purposes for which they are being brought in as attendants.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Taoiseach's Proposed Visit to America.
Until yesterday it was my intention to leave, this weekend, for the United States. The importance of my mission to that country, where there are tens of millions of people of Irish origin and whose people as a whole have been our unfailing support in times of crisis when we have been resisting aggression, justified such risks as might be involved in my leaving the country. Certain grave events which occurred yesterday have, however, changed the situation and I have deemed it necessary to alter my plans and postpone my visit.
I would like to add that I feel extremely grateful to President Roosevelt and the American people for their invitation to me as the representative of the Irish nation and for the preparations they had made to receive me. I am sure they will understand that nothing but a situation of real gravity would have prevented me from fulfilling my engagements as they had been arranged. These engagements included not merely the opening of the Irish Pavilion in the New York World Fair, which I was invited formally to open, and an official visit to the President of the United States, but also visits to a very large number of the principal cities of the United States, including Chicago, where I was to address a convention of people of Irish origin from all parts of America.
I was to have been accompanied by the Secretary of the Department of External Affairs and other officials whose knowledge of America or whose experience of certain duties would enable the work which I had in mind to be properly done.