852.00/5562: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 31—10:05 a.m.]
122. The Foreign Office has just informed us in confidence the position of and action taken by the German Government with regard to the bombing of the Deutschland in the following three particulars:
- 1.
- The fortified harbor of Almeria was bombarded between 7 and 8 this morning in reprisal certain military positions being destroyed.
- 2.
- The German Government is notifying the Chairman of the Nonintervention Committee in London that the German delegate will refrain from sitting on the Committee until his Government has received guarantees that in future there will be no further unwarranted attacks such as on the Deutschland.
- 3.
- Meanwhile and awaiting these guarantees German ships will withdraw from participation in non-intervention patrol duty and retire to some safe anchorage in the Mediterranean.
The Foreign Office regrets that according to reports just received from Washington the American press, particularly the Associated Press from Valencia, had erroneously reported the Deutschland incident. [Page 310] Foreign Office states as incontestable that the Deutschland was bombed without notice and at a time the ship had withdrawn to the Island of Ibiza for off-duty recreation in conformity with the practice of all the patrolling powers. The Deutschland was entirely unprepared and not a shot was fired by her either before or after the bombing.
Since writing this cablegram an official communiqué has been issued here describing bombing of Almeria. American news services are cabling this to the United States.
Repeated by telegraph to London, Rome, Paris and Geneva.