File No. 763.72112/1439
The Spanish Ambassador (Riaño) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 5.]
My Dear Mr. Secretary: With reference to our correspondence on the subject of the negotiations initiated by Spain and the United States to obtain from the belligerents that certain hospital supplies should not be considered as contraband of war, I beg to inform you that the Minister of State of Spain, to whom I cabled an extract of your note of July 27 ultimo, telegraphs me under date of August 1 that in view of the change in the attitude of this Government from what I understood it to be after my interview with you on June 1, of which I duly apprised my Government by telegraph, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has telegraphed to the representatives of Spain in belligerent countries instructing them to proceed jointly with the representatives of the United States to negotiate the acceptance of the British lists of supplies by the respective governments to which they are accredited.
Believe me [etc.]