852.2221/224
The Spanish Embassy to the Department of State
Memorandum
Information has come to the attention of the Ambassador of Spain to the effect that the Department of Justice has been investigating the purported recruiting of aviators by the Spanish Consulate General in New York for service in Spain.
On January 26th, 1937, the Ambassador submitted to the State Department a memorandum covering his information as of such date with regard to this problem.
There have come to his attention today, the originals of contracts executed by a few of such aviators in Spain with the Government of the Republic. These contracts indicate that these aviators appeared before the Spanish Consulate in New York and that they expressed their desire to offer their services. However, these aviators have neither spoken with or seen the Consul, nor have their services been hired, retained, or solicited by any persons now affiliated with the Spanish Consulate General in New York.
The Embassy of Spain begs to request that, in the event of there being any information available to the contrary, such information be transmitted to the Embassy before any proceedings be taken against any of the persons affiliated with the Consulate General of Spain in New York. In the event the information on the basis of which the Department of Justice intends to proceed is incorrect, the procedure suggested above would avoid extremely unfortunate publicity and would offer the Embassy of Spain an opportunity to make clear any misinformation or misconception to this respect.