852.00/4539: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:12 p.m.]
131. A member of my staff had a conversation yesterday afternoon with Alvarez del Vayo, the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, who has been in Paris for a few days. Alvarez said that he had no fear for the safety of Madrid since the city was now amply protected by fortifications which had been constructed in the outlying districts under the direction of competent foreign engineers. He said that [Page 236] his Government would welcome an agreement on the part of other Governments to prohibit volunteers going to Spain since he was convinced that if the situation were frozen as at present the Government forces would win. He also said that he would be prepared to sign immediately an agreement for the withdrawal from Spain of foreign volunteers now serving there provided, of course, that such volunteers were withdrawn from both sides. He said that the international brigade had been doing valiant service for the Government and that it numbered about 15,000 men; however, the Government forces had ample reserves in men, these men had become well trained soldiers through the past months of fighting and the assistance of this international brigade was not essential to the success of the Government. In reply, however, to an inquiry as to whether the recent reports of a mass naturalization of foreigners serving with the Government was correct, he stated that no such mass naturalization had taken place but that of course the Spanish Government could not send out of Spain foreigners who had been giving their best services for the defense of the Government cause and who would find it impossible to return to their country of origin.
In response to an inquiry as to how much unity really existed among the different elements composing the Government party and as to what control was exercised from Valencia, he said the following:
Recently an arrangement had been worked out and was now functioning in accordance with which delegates from the Basque provinces from Catalonia and from Valencia were meeting regularly together and coordinating plans for defense and for bringing about greater unity among these different groups. He said that 2 weeks ago before going to Geneva he had been in Barcelona and had been much struck by the change in sentiment there since his last visit in the sense of greater recognition of the fact that their future was bound up with that of the Government at Valencia and that efforts must be made to assist and work with the latter. He said that he was convinced that out of the eventful triumph of the Government forces would emerge a Spain which would not be Communistic but which would gradually take the form of a liberal Socialist Republic with strong army, a strong navy determined to defend itself and prohibit any foreign intervention whatsoever.
In reply to a question as to German and Italian assistance, he said that he supposed that it would be good propaganda for him to state that there were thirty to fifty thousand German and Italian troops in Spain. However, he personally did not believe this and was of the opinion that there were only between ten and fifteen thousand Germans and Italians there; these, however, were not soldiers but were all experienced technical men, aviation pilots, artillery officers, engineers, et cetera. He said that the effectiveness of the assistance [Page 237] rendered by these experts was seen in the improved artillery fire of Franco’s troops in the last attacks on Madrid. He said that in order to capture Madrid Franco would need at least 80,000 additional well trained troops; that most of Franco’s original Spanish troops who had at the outset fought with great courage and tenacity had by now been killed, and that the Moorish troops were no longer as effective due to the cold weather to which they were not accustomed. He admitted that the Government forces had been unsuccessful in all their offensive actions; he said that this was due largely to lack of ammunition. He said that there had been a brief period when the Government had been greatly concerned that Madrid might be captured because of lack of ammunition; however, Catalonia had come to the rescue and had been able to obtain and furnish enough ammunition to enable the Government forces to defend the city.
With reference to statements that are made in some quarters that Russian influence exerted through Rosenberg30 is all powerful in the Valencia Government, Alvarez laughed and said that it occurred to him at times that it might be helpful if this were true since the Spaniards are unfortunately inveterate individualists and find it difficult to organize and work together; these stories, however, were entirely untrue.
He said that he was very glad to state that he had had no difficulties with either the British or the American Embassies regarding the problem of political refugees in the diplomatic missions. He said that there had been gross abuses of the so-called right of diplomatic asylum and that he had absolute proof that arms had been smuggled into missions harboring political refugees and detailed plans worked out for these refugees to make a sortie and fall on the Government troops from behind when they were being attacked severely by Franco’s forces. He was much pleased with the arrangement he had negotiated with Argentina for the evacuation of people who had taken asylum at the Embassy and hoped to work out similar bilateral arrangements with other powers.
During the conversation and again at the end thereof he referred in the highest terms to Wendelin31 and the manner in which he had conducted himself in Madrid and Valencia. At the same time he said that he wished to maintain the closest relations with the United States Government and he stated (this is repeated for whatever it may be worth) that it would be very helpful to the Spanish Government if a diplomatic representative of higher rank were maintained by the United States at Valencia.