852.00/2300
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Spanish Ambassador66 called on his own initiative to repeat to me what he had said some days ago to Mr. Culbertson of the Western European Division, to the effect that he was at our service here in every possible way at all times in connection with the trouble now taking place in Spain and of our interest in the safety of American nationals there. I thanked the Ambassador very earnestly and, while expressing my regret that his country had its difficulties, I was very careful not to intimate the slightest bias in favor of or against either of the two groups which are parties to the civil war in Spain.
I inquired of the Ambassador what he knew about the present state of conditions in Spain, and he replied that, while it was difficult to get actual facts, it was his understanding that the Government now had the upper hand in most parts of Spain except the southern portions. I inquired as to the possibility of a train being run with safety from Madrid to Valencia, and the distance. He answered that that was the one route out of the country which was not molested by some kind of armed forces and that he thought it would be feasible for a train to be run to Valencia in safety. He said the distance was from 200 to 240 miles and that they had a good railroad running between these points. I inquired as to the extent of military armaments or equipment on the part of both factions engaged in the present civil war. The Ambassador said he knew nothing about the extent to which both sides could secure arms and ammunition but that he assumed that the Government forces would have better opportunities to secure armaments and supplies than the revolutionary forces. He said that the navy was loyal to the Government. I then inquired as to the extent to which the army was split in this controversy, to which he replied that he simply could not undertake to say.
I informed the Ambassador as to the situation of our Ambassador and his associates in the San Sebastián locality, adding that I thought they were all on the French border by this morning, on account of the intense fighting taking place not only at San Sebastián but about the community five miles away where Ambassador Bowers had been residing.
The Ambassador said he received a telegram last night (Sunday) which was dated 11 o’clock, and which came to him within about an hour, from Madrid. I indicated to him that we had received no cable direct from Madrid recently and that I would be glad if he would check on this matter and let us know.
[Page 648]I inquired as to how long this civil war condition would continue, and the Ambassador replied that no matter which side might gain the upper hand, some time would be required to restore quiet and orderly conditions.
I inquired whether the water supply had been cut off and how far the source of the water supply was from Madrid, to which the Ambassador replied that, while the opposition had come within 35 to 45 miles of Madrid from certain directions, the water supply, which is located 35 miles northeast of Madrid, had not been interrupted so far as he was able to ascertain. He said that his telegram of last night from Madrid stated that the Americans were all well and safe. I thanked the Ambassador very earnestly for this information and again for his offer to cooperate.
- Don Luis Calderón.↩