121.67/3579: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé at Tangier (Childs)

115. Your 722, May 21, noon, and 754, May 27, 7 p.m. Action taken with respect to interference with diplomatic couriers is approved, except that we do not want to suggest any publicity. Madrid is being asked to make appropriate representations.

For your strictly confidential background information you are advised that Department may encounter some difficulty because of unfortunate incident which occurred last October in New Orleans when Spanish diplomatic pouches were removed from the steamship Magallanes and opened by some of our authorities. The Department formally assured the Spanish Ambassador following that incident that the action had been unauthorized and the result of an error, and requested him to communicate to his Government this Government’s sincere regret and its apologies.

Hull