852.00/3037: Telegram
The Third Secretary of Embassy in Spain (Wendelin) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:30 p.m.]
X–127. I called to pay my respects this morning upon the Russian Ambassador to Spain. Mr. Rosenberg stated that his appointment to Madrid at the time was intended primarily as a public demonstration of moral support of the Spanish Government by his Government. He referred to the “well-known” fact that two European powers were quite openly supplying the rebels with war material and expressed the opinion that the European democracies should take official notice thereof. I remarked that as far as my Government was concerned it had made it very clear that it would scrupulously refrain from any interference whatsoever in the unfortunate Spanish situation in conformity with its well known policy in this respect. Referring to the situation in Madrid, the Ambassador expressed the opinion that the new Government, which represented the mass of the people, would soon put an end to the lawless activities of certain irresponsible elements. Commenting upon the designation of Largo Caballero to head the new Government, Mr. Rosenberg said that it was his impression that he had been chosen instead of Señor Prieto because the former was the head of the Socialist General Labor Union (U G T) which constituted the backbone of the Popular Front. He said that [Page 528] Señor Prieto had, himself, told him that this was preferable in order to inspire the maximum confidence of the Socialist militia in the new Government.
Mr. Rosenberg has not received as yet an invitation to attend the meeting of the Diplomatic Corps presumably because the Chilean Ambassador, Acting Dean of the Diplomatic Corps at Madrid, represents a country having no diplomatic relations with Soviet Russia and therefore has not extended an invitation.