852.2221/495: Telegram
The Vice Consul at Barcelona (Flood) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:50 p.m.]
V … L. B …, R … G. B …, J … P. D …, and H … T … arrested near Barcelona yesterday for lack of documentation. All are deserters from the International Brigade at the Madrid front and were trying to make the frontier after having been refused assistance at Valencia and this office in accordance with Department’s policy as expressed in similar cases.
… is one of those arrested and imprisoned in Perpignan in April and passport is said to be held by the Consulate at Marseille. Others had passports issued in March and April this year by the Department, … claims his lost in Paris, others taken up at Albacete. Names and addresses of families will be telegraphed if not available in the Department.
Authorities offer to release them into custody this office to be evacuated before ordering their formal incarceration, but this would be useless for proper documentation.