711.52/303
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The Spanish Ambassador called at his request. He had no particular business except to urge continued close relations between our two Governments that would stand up and not break down in any way, and to assure me that his Government was doing everything it could along these lines, including favorable action on several requests of the United States Government. I said that while I appreciated this, I must very earnestly emphasize the fact that the whole favorable atmosphere existing in our two countries’ relations was most seriously undermined and injured by the Laurel incident,48 which no one here can understand. I said that it makes it extremely important for the Spanish Government to proceed at once with favorable action on such requests for an embargo on wolfram exports, landing rights for American planes in Spain, expulsion of German agents from Tangier, release of Italian warships in the Balearics, and release of Italian merchant vessels now in Spanish ports.49 The Ambassador agreed to this but stated that his Government could only move so fast.
I said that since the Laurel incident, many people in this country were wondering whether the Spanish Government was making mistakes in its internal affairs, thereby impeding its own ability to go forward and deal promptly with such requests as those pending on the part of the United States. I added that the people of this country have such an implacable hatred for the barbarous conduct of the Japanese in murdering American prisoners and otherwise treating helpless Americans with every method of barbarism that they cannot understand why a country like Spain would engage in such action as the one in question. I said that this makes it all the more important that there should be expeditious action on the four or five requests of this Government. The Ambassador said that he would advise his Government very earnestly and emphatically in the matter.
The Ambassador inquired if anything was said at Moscow49a concerning the Spanish situation, to which I replied that, not for quotation in any sense, I was not aware of anything on that subject having been discussed. He also wanted to know whether the coming conference of the heads of government would discuss this question. I replied that he knew as much about that as I did.
- For correspondence regarding the Laurel incident, see pp. 722 ff.↩
- With respect to these subjects, see index listings.↩
- For documentation regarding the Tripartite Conference in Moscow, October 18–November 1, 1943, see vol. i, pp. 513 ff.↩