File No. 652.119/818
The Ambassador in Spain ( Willard) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 5, 5.13 p.m.]
1301. Embassy has just received from Minister of Foreign Affairs note verbale, translation as follows:
Although in our conversations Your Excellency has repeatedly assured me that the period of two months, agreed upon in article 13 of the agreement of March 7 last in regard to the negotiations between Spain and the United States of a special agreement concerning shipping’ matters, would be extended, as it is not the fault of His Majesty’s Government that the Government of the United States has not yet been able to make the corresponding proposals, in spite [Page 1680] of the requests made to it to that effect. I have received a telegram from Señor Riaño informing me that the Department of State has notified him that in regard to coaling, the War Trade Board will apply to Spanish vessels after May 8 and during a “reasonable” period the regulations existing before the signature of the agreement, inspired however with a spirit of benevolence.
I must not conceal from Your Excellency the unfavorable impression which this communication has produced upon me since it is not possible for the Government of His Majesty to accept such a vague and indefinite situation as is to be inferred from the note of the Department of State. It is not possible to allow the treatment of Spanish ships in American ports to depend upon a “regime of benevolence” and that during a reasonable period, since this would be equivalent to admitting the possibility that at a given moment the American authorities would declare the period at an end, or without going to that extreme attribute the character of benevolence to a treatment incompatible with the interest of Spanish navigation.
The good spirit shown by Your Excellency in our conversations leads me to point out the whole gravity and importance of the question and to beg you with all the urgency which the matter demands, to be so good as to intervene with your Government so that the period may be extended and that during this extension the same regulations may remain in force as at present.
The [Department’s] attention is called to instructions contained in last paragraph of its No. 998, March 23, 6 p.m.,1 “Please advise the Department promptly whether any representation was made to the Spanish Government that could have created the impression that bunker licenses would be freely issued the Spanish vessels for all times, and in the meantime please refrain from discussing this matter with Foreign Office”, to Embassy’s reply thereto 1184, March 26, 11 a.m.,1 and to Embassy’s 1257, April 20, 7 p.m., which latter recites what occurred upon only occasion matter under consideration was discussed with Minister for Foreign Affairs. He is accurate in his statement that it has not been the fault of Spanish Government that negotiations provided for in article 13 of agreement of March 7, 1918, have not been begun more promptly. Therefore Embassy cannot too strongly urge that period of two months for negotiations of further agreement concerning shipping be made use of in explicit terms for a further period of 30 days from May 7 and that Spanish Government be informed that United States Government will feel free to enforce War Trade Board regulations if after June 7 no such agreement shall have been ratified. This will preclude possibility of unfortunate misunderstanding and will permit Department with approval of War Trade Board to grant further extension if it appears negotiations are not concluded by aforesaid date. The shipping matter involves Spanish pride and is therefore a delicate question. Embassy ventures to suggest if Department desires to secure for use [Page 1681] of United States or Allies any portion of Spanish tonnage that it is necessary either to proceed with great caution and tact or boldly to show force. In either event it is equally necessary that all misunderstandings be avoided and no possible ground be given for charge of bad faith which the Spaniards are sometimes prone to make unjustifiably. Reference is here made to first sentence Department’s [998] under consideration.
Department is requested to consider in connection herewith Embassy’s 1302, May 4, 8 p.m., War Trade Board 50 from Chadbourne.1