852.00/3799: Telegram
The Third Secretary of Embassy in Spain (Wendelin) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received November 19—7:20 p.m.]
X–323. Diplomatic Corps is much exercised at very serious conditions existing in Spain and especially in Madrid which is target for artillery and air bombardment devastating wide zone of city and with heavy loss of civilian life. At meeting today resolution was unanimously passed that each head of mission should draw attention of his Government to this state of affairs with a view to moving League of Nations or other appropriate international organizations to take some urgent steps for putting an end to or mitigating this unfortunate slaughtering of civil population.
The resolution adopted by Diplomatic Corps today was taken orally and followed by a series of observations and reservations by various representatives which will indicate little effective action likely to be taken by their Governments. Nevertheless since action is based on humanitarian grounds all representatives have felt obligated to report it to their Governments. First paragraph above was drafted by British and Argentine Chargé d’Affaires and myself as representing accurate expression of scope of resolution. Chargé d’Affaires of Argentina requests that text of first paragraph above be transmitted to Ministry of Foreign Relations at Buenos Aires since he has no code here.
In my opinion above action represents merely friendly gesture doomed to failure but which may have beneficial effects locally when it becomes known.