711.5212Anti-War/17
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs (Marriner)
The Spanish Ambassador called to inform the Secretary that his Government had perfectly understood the situation with respect to the notes communicated to it for its information and that the Prime Minister was very sorry indeed that incorrect reports had appeared in the Spanish press and had emanated from Madrid on this point. He brought with him the text of a communiqué which his Government desired to issue on the subject which stated that the Spanish Government, having been invited to express its willingness to sign the treaty after examining the notes sent to it for its information, was willing so to do and expected an invitation shortly. The Secretary would not agree to this, but said that he was quite willing that Spain should say that, after examining the notes submitted to it for its information, it was willing to sign as an original party without reservations if invited so to do, and asked that the following alternative draft be considered by the Spanish Government for an informal statement:
“The Spanish Government having examined with the greatest care the provisions and contents of the note of the Secretary of State of the United States of America addressed to the principal Powers together with the explanation given to the provisions of the proposed pact for the renunciation of war, which note was communicated to the Spanish Government for its information by the American Ambassador at Madrid, is prepared to express its indorsement of the high purposes of the treaty which accord with the pacific attitude of the Spanish nation and will be happy to sign as an original party without reservations if invited so to do.”
The Secretary told the Ambassador that when he had received all the answers he would raise the question with the other Governments and that it was absolutely necessary that he do this as he could not take the initiative or the sole action of inviting other Powers since the inclusion of any Power not at present in the scope of the negotiations would certainly cause application to be made by many others. He told the Ambassador that there had been some delay in the Japanese reply due to some questions of phraseology, but that he would take the question up, as soon as he received a favorable reply from Japan, with the other Powers.
Subsequently Mr. Marriner told the Ambassador that the question had become somewhat complicated by the leak in the Spanish press since other Powers had begun making similar inquiries and the question of where to draw the line might be of great difficulty. The Ambassador [Page 121] pointed out that one difficulty would not arise if Spain were included among the original signatories and that would be any difficulty as to ratifications, since as there was no Parliament in Spain, the signature of the Government required no ratification. The Ambassador expressed his real disturbance that the leak in the Spanish press had further complicated the question, and said he hoped that the Secretary understood that this was not the fault of the Spanish Government.