740.0011 European War 1939/16928
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The Spanish Ambassador called to see me this afternoon at his request.
The Ambassador spoke with the greatest concern regarding the news that has come from France today44 and expressed the fear that the giving in by France to Germany with regard to North Africa would make the situation of the Spanish Government far more difficult. He said that only a miracle had saved them from invasion by Germany so far and that he could only hope against hope that they might still be spared. He expressed the belief that opinion in the last two months in Spain had veered considerably against Germany and that even the Falange itself was now by no means convinced that a German victory was even possible or desirable from the Spanish point of view.
The Ambassador complained in regard to continued press attacks against Spain, particularly with reference to the shipment of certain raw materials from the United States to Spain. I said that in my judgment this kind of press attack would undoubtedly continue until and unless the public in the United States were convinced the Spanish Government was not, in reality, playing on Germany’s side. He said that I knew well what his own personal feelings were and what his own convictions were, and that he sincerely believed the policy of his own Government had been modified considerably in recent months, and that both General Franco and his Foreign Minister were playing for time in order to prevent actual occupation. I said that in that connection we could only make the earnest plea that the Spanish Government, should Germany undertake measures to expansion in North Africa, would not be tempted by German offers to extend their own sphere of occupation in North Africa. I said that if such a step were taken it could only be regarded by this Government as an overt and definite indication that [Page 932] Spain was definitely pursuing Hitler’s strategy and was thereby greatly endangering legitimate interests of the United States. The Ambassador said he understood this fully and had already made his views clear to his own Government in regard to this possibility.