852.00/3247: Telegram
The Third Secretary of Embassy in Spain (Wendelin) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:45 p.m.]
X–164. Note from Ministry of State dated September 21 encloses copies of notes addressed that date to the German, Italian and Portuguese Governments protesting against military aid furnished by those Governments to Spanish rebels and also enclosing six photostatic copies of documents purporting to prove such intervention. Minister of State’s note mentioned requests that I bring this to the attention of my Government.
Following is summary of five points presented at some length in the note under reference: (1) Facts enumerated at length in notes to German, Italian and Portuguese Governments demonstrate that the non-intervention agreement signed by those countries has been translated in practice into blockade of legitimate Government of Spain while rebels continue to receive war materials even after signature of this agreement; (2) the official declarations of the “interventionist states” that they have strictly observed terms of non-intervention agreement are disproved by the facts wherefore it is being demanded from “various sectors” that the signatories of this agreement make their position clear regarding its application; (3) the rebellion lacks popular approval and would have been suppressed quickly except for “the armed assistance of Germany and Italy” and the under-cover cooperation of other known elements, which with reference to the recruiting of Moroccan troops and the importation of war materials into Spanish zone of Morocco constitutes a flagrant violation of existing statutes since the Act of Algeciras and the Franco-Spanish convention of 1912; (4) matters have reached such a point that the Spanish Government is obliged to inquire of the American Government, “signatory of the agreement on non-intervention”, whether it has given attention to the fact that with the embargo on arms exports to a legitimate government and the toleration of “a direct intervention by Italy and Germany in favor of the rebels” a very grave precedent is being created in international relations under which certain states addicted to a regime of force are attempting to impose their ideology by fomenting civil strife and assisting the rebel forces; (5) in view of the above the Spanish Government requests that the embargo on the exportation of arms to the Spanish Government be raised and a strict prohibition be placed upon the supplying of war material to the rebels.
Identical notes have been sent to all other governments maintaining relations with the Spanish Government. It is observed that under [Page 533] point (4) the Minister of State’s note refers in error to the American Government as a signatory of the non-intervention agreement, I am forwarding the text of this communication and its enclosures by mail at the first opportunity.74
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