852.00/5521
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Hickerson)
Mr. Philip Broadmead, First Secretary of the British Embassy, came in to see me this afternoon and referred to the memorandum which the Ambassador handed to Judge Moore88 last Saturday regarding a possible statement by the President on humanitarian grounds in regard to bombing from the air in Spain. He referred also to the Secretary’s conversation with the Ambassador respecting the same matter on Tuesday and stated that the Ambassador understood the Secretary to say that any statements issued by the President after we received fuller information on the subject would be concurrent with or subsequent to action taken by the International Committee in London.
Mr. Broadmead stated that the Embassy has received a further telegram on this subject from the Foreign Office, stating that, after a discussion by the International Committee in London on this subject on Tuesday, there is a likelihood that, when the Committee meets again next Monday, the scope of a proposed appeal to both factions in Spain will be broadened along the line of “minimizing the dangers and hardships suffered by the civilian population from various other causes besides bombing from the air.” Mr. Broadmead went on to say that he understood that the appeal respecting bombing from the air would relate to bombing of open towns and non-military objectives. He added that the British Government hopes that, if the International Committee reaches a unanimous decision to make an appeal along these lines to both factions, the President will be disposed to make some kind of public statement in support of these appeals. The British Embassy will communicate to us the text of the resolution as soon as they receive it.89