711.522/72: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spain (Moore) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 12—12:50 a.m.]
67. While with Minister of State this morning he stated that Spain had only denounced the commercial arrangement and not the treaty of friendship and general relations,17 that he was willing to proceed at once to the consideration of a commercial treaty alone and that, if it was not successfully completed before November 5th, he would give us a modus vivendi, that, if we insisted on a treaty of general relations, he could not tell how much time would be required as it would have to go before so many people and he did not think that it was a matter to be taken up at the present time; that they had many other commercial treaties that had not been completed, but that he was anxious to expedite the commercial treaty with the United States and would take the matter up himself after the Cortes adjourns, which will be very soon. My earnest opinion and that of Hackworth is that, under the circumstances, the treaties should be separated. Recent apparent change in attitude of Spanish officials justify great hope for a commercial treaty and I feel that insistence upon whole proposal will at least delay and may possibly prejudice commercial agreement. I believe the other treaty of general relations could be negotiated later and we could take whatever time is necessary on it, as it is not vital to business interests.
In the light of the foregoing, direct instructions on this one proposition are desired as soon as possible.
- For text of treaty of 1902, see Foreign Relations, 1903, p. 721.↩