852.00/3345a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul at Seville (Bay)59
The U. S. S. Kane has reported that it intercepted a radio message in Spanish, a free translation of which follows:
“Commander in Chief of Nationalist fleet states that commencing zero hours 4 October all ports between and including Barcelona and Malaga are subject to bombardment without previous warning as they may be used by Government forces as naval bases. Foreign ships should abandon the ports included in indicated zone before end of time allowance advising themselves of risk they expose themselves to if they do not do this.”
Endeavor ascertain orally and informally from insurgent commander in Seville whether such a warning was broadcast with the approval of the insurgent authorities. If the answer is in the affirmative, you should state that officials of your Government and American nationals are in some of these ports and that American war vessels are entering these ports occasionally for purposes of evacuation. You should state, without admitting the legality of the proposed action, that you assume that under these circumstances the insurgent authorities will give notice sufficiently in advance of any proposed bombardment of any particular port to enable these officials and nationals to find their way to places of safety and to permit notification to our naval vessels in order that they may not be exposed to danger while engaged in this humanitarian work of evacuation.
Telegraph immediately a full report of the results of your conversation.
- Repeated to the Embassy at Madrid, the Consulate General at Barcelona, the Consulate at Valencia, and to the Ambassador in Spain, then in France, for their confidential information.↩