352.115 Warner and Co., Wm. R./16: Telegram
The Consulate General at Barcelona (Perkins) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 5—12:25 p.m.]
Department’s telegram of September 26, 1 [2] p.m. No reply has yet been received, [to representations?] made in accordance with the Department’s instructions, concerning the transfer of the bank account of Laboratorio Comercio Substancia S. A. to the Workers Control Committee.
Day before yesterday, after strong oral protest by the Consulate General to the local authorities had failed to bring about preventive [Page 732] action, the International Banking Corporation was obliged to pay a check drawn on the account of the General Motors Peninsular S. A. by the Workers Committee of that company and the delegate of the Generalidad acting under the authority of the Delegacion de Industria of the Catalan Government. I have since learned that similar checks on the same company have been for some time honored by the Anglo-South American Bank and the Banco Hispano Americano.
I am of the opinion that the local government while inclined to be considerate of our protests is too weak to control Workers Committees which have payrolls to meet.
Both the bank and the Consulate General are keeping careful records as a basis for claims, but we should be glad to be informed of any particular suggestions that may occur to the Department in this relation.