My sister has seen this and has contributed some additions.

AK Archive

There is a reference to JJ in August 1923 as 'maitre de conference' at the Cercle, and Garnier being in Ireland in September 1923. There is an article in Vie des Peuples on Michael Collins, presumably by Garnier, but probably with inputs from JJ, and in the same issue an article by JJ on the elections in Ireland.

There is a reference to 3 Manchester Guardian articles on Ireland about this time, probably by JJ, and to Simone Tery's book 'l'Irlande'.

On February 17 1924 there is a reference to a lunch involving Andre Maurois, Simone Tery and Vaughan Dempsey representing the Irish Free State.

Gilles Baud-Berthier in the AKF has unearthed an article by JJ in French written in the December 1926 issue of the Bulletin du Society Autour du Monde. It is entitled 'Quelques Experiences Politiques de l'Etat Libre d'Irlande' and I have abstracted this in the Garnier correspondence stream (see below).

JJ's Rockefeller episode is referenced by his presence at a meeting on January 9 1927. There is a paper in the SSISI stream which is based on this; it involves the analysis of the value added in the food chain, with particular reference to farmer co-operative control, in France. He also made use of this in his work for the 1926 Prices Tribunal. This work was noted in the AK Bulletin December 1928, which also referenced his Barrington Lectures work in this context, emphasising the need for reform of local government. There is a further mention, in almost exactly the same words, in the June 1931 issue.

The AK 'Moscow' archive came up with a list of publications used by JJ in the context of his Rockefeller project, as follows:

L'Evolution de la France Agricole, Augé-Laribé, Librarie Armand Colin;

Le Payson Francais apres la Guerre, Marcel Riviere, 31 rue Jacob, Paris;

L'Agriculture pendant la Guerre, Les Presses Universitaires de France;

Le commerce des Produits Agricoles, E Roher, Paris, GB Bailliere et fils;

Semaine de l'exportation des produits agricoles, comptes-rendu publie par l'Association d'Expansion Economique, Paris, 21 Ave de Messines.

JJ was clearly looking for a French model on which to base his critiques of Free State agricultural production and export policy. These must have provided much of the inputs to his 1926 Prices Commission Addendum.

My sister recollects living in France in 1926 and 1927, and going to school in Versailles, with her cousin Sheila.

Garnier and other correspondence

There are also some letters from the Marquis McSwiney, who was the Free State representative in Rome. The first is dated August 6 1923, in response to JJ's to him of July 23, in which JJ apparently gave him advance warning of his projected visit to Paris. This must have been the episode mentioned above, where JJ attended a meeting of the Cercle. My sister recollects frequent visits by the Marquis and his family, who were of an age to interact with her and Sheila; they enjoyed the company.

I quote: '...I often thought and spoke of you during the past three years, and never lost an opportunity of enquiring after you, so I was well aware of the fact that the Government had wisely availed themselves of your, and my good friend Ned Stephens's valuable services...I am sure you are both doing splendid work, and do not doubt that, when the time comes, for the Boundary question to be definitely solved. You will both, as far as this may be in your power, see that the legitimate rights and interests of of so many thousands of our brother Irishmen in the North shall not be sacrificed to the sectarian bigotry of the Orange crowd...'.

The foregoing relates to JJ's work on the Boundary Commission. The Marquis goes on to declare the intention of returning shortly to his house in 39 Upper Fitzwilliam St, currently lent to one Mrs Kilkelly, who not only had neglected his dog, but had turned 'irregular', so that he feared for his furniture: '...the people who belong to Senor de Valera's political persuasion are not over particular about the way they deal with other peoples' property, especially if these other people prefer to live with a Treaty in the hand, than with a Document no 2 in the bush.' He asked JJ to write to him as soon as he returned and they would arrange to meet.

There is a second letter, from Pau, dated August 20 1926, congratulating him on his Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship; JJ had again written to him appraising him of his projected 1926 visit; there is talk of making contact, but nothing specific. This trail then goes cold; perhaps it will re-emerge via one of the other threads.

There is a letter from WH Nicholson, one of the other AK Fellows, from the University of Bristol, dated January 16 1926, seeking to set up a meeting of all former AK Fellows in Paris at Easter. JJ noted that he replied on January 22, but it is not clear whether he was able to go. The objective of the event was to ensure that the interest of the UK network remained alive, and the British node of the network, based in London University, remained viable.

(I have not established whether this did take place, and if so whether JJ was there. RJ Dec 24 1999)

There is among the memorabilia a brochure describing the North German Lloyd steamer 'Bremen', along with a menu and concert programmes, dated December 17 1927. At first sight this would suggest that JJ made the trip to the US to present his Report, but I have no other record to this effect. Nor has the Rockefeller Foundation. My sister on the other hand recollects joining the Bremen at Cobh for their 1927 trip to France. We must watch for additional evidence of this episode. RJ September 2001.

Some navigational notes:

Copyright Dr Roy Johnston 1999