852.00/6417
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Spanish Ambassador came in today upon his own request. He bluntly inquired what the State Department had done about his recent request that this Government exercise its influence in its own way to save the lives of some 2,000 persons captured at Santander and who apparently are under the ban of the Franco Government.
I promptly replied that nothing had been done; that it is not within the province of this Government to say or do anything relative to the nationals of other countries, as in the instant case, which would be considered officious on the part of this Government or to be a departure in the slightest from our policy of non-interference. The Ambassador seemed to accept this as a matter of course.
He then proceeded to talk about the issue between democracy and dictatorship becoming more acute in connection with the Spanish situation and indicated that, of course, this government would be much interested in opposing Fascism in any feasible way. He said that the term of the Spanish Government’s membership in an important position in the League at Geneva is expiring and that the Fascist forces are seeking to prevent the Spanish Government from retaining this position. He then urged that this Government exercise its influence in its own way to aid the Spanish Government in this matter. I again promptly said to him that the United States is not a member of the League; that it is pursuing a policy of strict non-interference with respect to the Spanish situation and political involvements generally and that of course it would not be possible for this Government directly or indirectly to attempt to interfere in this matter to which he referred. He indicated that he understood entirely this viewpoint but that it was his function to carry out instructions by presenting these matters to the State Department.