711.522/66: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spain (Moore) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:30 p.m.]
62. 1. In a letter dated June 25th I asked the Foreign Minister for a conference with Spanish treaty officials for Hackworth. I stated that he was important expert of our Government; that he had been here three weeks and had not been called into any conference on merits of the treaty. I stated I did not feel justified in requesting permission to keep him here indefinitely and asked a definite answer from the Minister as to when conferences could begin. The following is full text of Minister’s reply.
“I have received your courteous letter of June 25th, the contents of which I have examined with great interest.
Both the Government of His Majesty in general and I in particular have given due appreciation of the decision of the Government of the United States to send a technical representative to Madrid so well qualified as Mr. Hackworth in order to negotiate a new treaty between our two countries. We would have desired to place him from the first in relation with the Spanish Commercial Treaty Commission appointed to act in the negotiation of treaties of this class had this not been prevented on one hand by the quantity of work which this commission has on hand as it is conducting simultaneously negotiations with several countries which does not permit it for the moment to undertake another negotiation, and on [Page 855] the other hand by the nature of the proposal which you were pleased to make to me. In fact, this is not a simple treaty of commerce to replace the commercial agreement which terminates November 4 next; it is a treaty of general relations between our two countries and requires as such careful and mature study by the various competent Departments of the Government because of the complex nature of the questions which it embraces and the consequences which would result for important Spanish interests from its being decided in one or another sense.
I regret very much that these circumstances prevent us from dedicating all the attention which we would at once have wished to accord to this affair and that Mr. Hackworth did not come at a more propitious time; likewise, as I would have suggested to you, I might have been previously advised of the intention of your Government to send a delegate to Madrid for the purpose.
But in my desire to interpret the sentiments of His Majesty’s Government towards the American Government as well as my personal ones toward you, I have instructed the Commercial Treaty Commission to have an interview with Mr. Hackworth in the course of a few days in order that they may communicate to each other their respective points of view with regard to the commercial part and even with regard to the rest of the project if the progress of the study of this part of the treaty permits. It will not be possible to enter into a detailed discussion of the matter for the reasons which have been given nor to treat of other points of the project until the appropriate departments shall have decided with regard to them.
Although this is no time or place to formulate views with regard to the contents of the project, I shall tell you, notwithstanding, that there will be, in my opinion, such numerous and important objections on our part, judging by my deductions from a superficial study, that it does not seem possible to me that the negotiations can be concluded within the short period of time you desire, in view of Mr. Hackworth being obliged shortly to return to his country.
But he will be able to carry with him an impression of our point of view at least as far as the commercial side is concerned; and in order to see if it is possible to anticipate for him the opinion of the, competent departments—even if only in a general way—with regard to the other points, I am requesting them to hasten the studying which they are undertaking. After this Mr. Lago will indicate a day to Mr. Hackworth, which I hope will be in the course of next week, for them to hold the interview arranged in principle between them and to which I have already referred above.”
2. Have answered the letter by making proposal for modus vivendi along the lines your telegram no. 39, June 29, 6 p.m.
3. In order that any failure to bring about a satisfactory arrangement within a reasonable time may be placed where it properly belongs, Hackworth will inform conferences that, if they are ready to take up negotiations and prosecute them to a conclusion, he is prepared to stay as long as there is any prospect of accomplishing anything, but that it is not the desire of his Government that he should remain here indefinitely unless his time can be utilized.
[Page 856]4. The text my note of May [June] 25th is incorporated in my letter to Secretary of State, June 26th.14
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