852.75/10: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spam (Moore) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7 p.m.]
41. Your 38, August 29, 7 p.m. As noted in royal decree, copy of which was forwarded several months ago to the Department,16 the concession was open to proposals from all countries. There was only one American company17 which sought the concession. The issue narrowed down to which telephone system should be adopted, the American or the Swedish. I naturally thought that American system would be favored by the Department. My assistance consisted in informing Spaniards that American business interests always knew how to carry out big projects and that the American telephone system was not equaled anywhere. In the future I shall make no recommendations before receiving instructions from the Department. I am forwarding by mail copies of the decree.16