852.00/5914
The Counselor of Embassy in Spain (Thurston) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 3.]
Sir: The Spanish press frequently asserts that the Government forces are waging a war on behalf of democracy, and professes to be amazed by the failure of the major democracies—by which they usually mean Great Britain and France—to appreciate that fact and enter the conflict. Especial emphasis has been laid, in this respect, on the significance to France of the entry into Spain of large numbers of German volunteers and the threat, in the event of a rebel victory, which that fact is presumed to imply. It frequently has been pointed out that should the Germans obtain a foothold in Spain France would be compelled to establish a new line of permanent fortifications—along the Pyrenees—and to revise its entire military program.
During a recent conversation the Spanish Minister of National Defense, Señor Indalecio Prieto, gave me to understand that views similar to those outlined above are seriously entertained by the French authorities and have been the subject of discussions with the Spanish Government. In this connection Señor Prieto stated that he desired to inform me in strict confidence of the facts attendant upon the recent flights of two squadrons of Spanish Government airplanes over French territory, and their detention at French landing fields and subsequent [Page 330] return to Spain. According to Señor Prieto, the French General Staff maintains several “observers” on the Basque front (Bilbao being regarded as a special German military-economic objective), who some weeks ago informed the Government that unless at least sixty airplanes should be sent to that front at once the rebel air superiority would in all probability bring about the fall of Bilbao. At the same time, in view of the physical difficulties of sending airplanes over the wide strip of rebel territory that intervenes, it was agreed that the Government planes might fly over French territory. When the first squadron of planes that attempted to enter the Basque region in this manner was held up by the French authorities it was assumed that there merely had been a failure to coordinate policy, and a second attempt was made. This squadron, as the Department will recall was also returned to Government territory after being disarmed. Señor Prieto states that the only explanation for the failure of the French authorities to carry out what he evidently regarded as an agreement lies in the “precarious internal political situation of France”.
The readiness of responsible French authorities to lend active assistance to the Spanish Government implicit in the foregoing gives weight to the story of …, reported in Vice Consul Wells’ telegram dated June 1—6 p.m.,8 concerning the presence of volunteers aboard the S. S. City of Barcelona.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed; it reported a request for assistance from an American survivor of the City of Barcelona disaster (852.2221 Sauermilch, Alexander/1).↩