852.75 National Telephone Co./305: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Spain (Weddell)
26. Your 258, December 22, 11 a.m. and 259, December 22, noon. The delay of which Minister of Finance complains has been due to necessity of obtaining information from the American Company which would supply the nickel blanks to the mint. An estimate by this Company has in turn been delayed because of its inability to obtain price quotations on the nickel which would have to be imported from Canada. The mint has now furnished us with an estimate of the cost of the work which would be done by it. By far the greater part of the total cost, however, will be represented by the cost of the nickel and the preparation therefrom of the blanks by the American manufacturer. We are informed that the manufacturer is expected to submit an estimate of these costs in a few days. The Department, therefore, hopes to be able to transmit detailed information on this subject for the Minister of Finance very shortly.
You are authorized to submit the note proposed in your no. 259 to the Minister of State. If you believe it advisable you should present the note personally to the Minister and take the occasion to emphasize that at the very moment that the Spanish Governemnt is requesting our cooperation on various matters of importance to it, it is showing no disposition to accord to American interests in Spain the treatment to which they are entitled, specifically in the case of the telephone company and of the American prisoners still under detention.