352.0022/41: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Chile (Philip)
31. Your telegram No. 38 of July 16, 7 p.m. While we are always prepared whenever possible to use our good offices with foreign governments at the request of the Chilean Government, we do not feel that we can undertake to make representations to the Spanish Government on behalf of the Spanish nationals given asylum in the Chilean Embassy at Madrid. To do so would be contrary to our established policy with regard to diplomatic asylum and might weaken the effective action of our representatives in Spain in protecting our own nationals. For this reason we approved the action of our Embassy at Madrid in refusing asylum to Spanish citizens and in not associating itself with other missions under the leadership of the Chilean Ambassador in representations to the Spanish Government on this subject. Similarly we approved the action of our Ambassador at Buenos Aires in declining to attend meetings of the diplomatic representatives of the American Republics at that capital to discuss matters relating to the granting of diplomatic asylum by diplomatic missions at Madrid.
In the event that you should be pressed for a reply by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, you may mention the above considerations.