Journal of European Integration History – Revue d'histoire de l'

94Dermot KeoghThe delegation returned home confident that the questions had been answeredadequately. 61 An 18-page memorandum was prepared for government reviewingthe progress of the application to date and providing details and an analysis of theconsultations in Brussels on 11 May. 62Disappointments during Summer 1962There was to be no real movement on the Irish application until autumn. But duringthe early part of the summer, Irish diplomats reported on their high level contacts inBritain, German and France. On 25 June, the new Irish ambassador to Bonn, BrianGallagher, was received by Chancellor Adenauer. The latter started off by assuringthe envoy that there was a great amount of goodwill in Germany for Ireland.Regarding the new applicants for membership, the chancellor said that there wereextremely difficult negotiations in progress with the British at the present time, andhe thought that it would still take a long time before those difficulties could besolved. He himself felt that the connections between Britain and the overseas countriesof the Commonwealth, and especially with Canada, Australia and New Zealand,were important and valuable, and he would not wish to see them broken. Itwould no doubt be necessary to taper off gradually the economic preferences. Theposition was also somewhat complicated by reason of the fact that the issue was notonly solely between Britain and the Six. The United States also had a view in thematter, which was that, while they were anxious for Britain to become a member ofthe Community, they were opposed to membership for Canada, Australia and NewZealand. He did not himself at the moment see how the problem was going to besolved:“In dismissing me, the Chancellor reiterated that Ireland enjoyed great goodwill inGermany and I could take it that this goodwill would be carried over into the fieldwhich we had just been discussing.” 63In London, Ambassador McCann met the British Secretary of State for CommonwealthRelations, Duncan Sandys, on 27 June 1962 for the purpose of a “generalchat”. He told the ambassador that“he was still reasonably optimistic about the successful outcome of the British negotiations.He said that there appears to be a general acceptance within the Six thatBritain will join the EEC. On the question of the time schedule, he said that, whilethey are still aiming at getting an outline of the package by the end of July, heexpected that they will probably have to ‘stop the clock’ at the end of July and thenwill probably go on into the middle of August. He felt that the signature would takeplace at the beginning of the year, entering into force about the middle of nextyear.” 6461. Interview with Dr Whitaker, July 1996.62. Text of memorandum, 24 May 1962, D/T, S17246G/62, NAI.63. Brian Gallagher to Cremin, 25 June 1962, D/T, 17246K/62, NAI.64. McCann to Cremin, 27 June 1962, D/T, S17246K/62, NAI.