611.5231/1063
The Ambassador in Spain (Bowers) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 23.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that Ambassador Calderón arrived in Madrid last week, ten days after the arrival of the proposed commercial treaty by pouch. He came to call the day following his arrival and appeared optimistic over the prospects. The day before the proposed treaty was taken up in the Council of Ministers, and Calderón reports to me that two Ministers objected strongly to the provision for a thirty day notice in changing duties and quotas, but he said he had arranged to talk to these two objectors and hoped to persuade them. He implied that this provision, which conflicts somewhat with the commercial policy here, is the only matter of any importance that may require some work and persuasion. In two interviews, given out here, Calderón expresses confidence in the success of the treaty and says that it will be beneficial to both nations.
From the Commercial Attaché I learn that Fernandez Shaw of the Ministry of Commerce who is chronically pessimistic, thinks there may have to be some changes in the wording because certain words in English, translated into Spanish, have a “brutal sound”. He does not mean, I understand, that they are objectionable in the sense we mean them, since he suggests that other words meaning the same thing, but less objectionable to the Spanish ear, may be substituted without objections on our part.
In view of the fact that this Embassy has not to this moment been furnished, apart from lists of proposed concessions forwarded last April and certain similar data cabled at later dates, with any part of the text of the proposed treaty, you will readily understand that much of this means absolutely nothing to me.34 When Calderón said, at [Page 736] the beginning of his interview with me, “Of course the Department has sent you a copy of the proposed treaty”, I nodded acquiescence rather than make the embarrassing admission that the Embassy here still is in the dark. I have no means of knowing just what Fernandez Shaw has in mind because I have seen nothing, and have no idea what he means by the objectionable phrasing.
Again I suggest that a copy be sent the Embassy. Of course this Embassy has no such notion as of breaking in on the Foreign Office with suggestions, of interfering with Calderón’s work of persuasion, or of discussing the treaty with the Minister without instructions concerning the points that may be in controversy, but I submit that if at any time I may be summoned to the Ministry concerning any point it would be humiliating to be forced to the admission that I do not have the slightest notion as to what the Minister has in mind, because I have not seen the treaty at all. I hope that a copy will be sent without delay to the end that whenever Calderón or the Minister explains the Spanish point of view to me I may have an intelligent idea as to what he is talking about.
Since writing the above Calderón called me up to say that he wished to come to see me tomorrow to discuss the treaty. He asked me a direct question as to whether I had a copy of the treaty and I was compelled to admit I had not. He then stated he would bring a copy of the treaty with him.
Respectfully yours,
- The Department transmitted as enclosures to its instruction No. 314, December 27, 1935, to the Ambassador in Spain, a copy of the general provisions and schedules of the proposed trade agreement with Spain, together with copies of the alternate drafts of the note to be exchanged with regard to the labeling of sherry (611.5231/1063).↩