352.3715/30: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Counselor of Embassy in Spain ( Thurston )
276. Your X–527, March 4, 1 p.m. We have informed Cuban Chargé d’Affaires in Washington that we cannot undertake to evacuate Spanish refugees but will consider possibility of evacuating Cubans. You may similarly inform representative of Cuban Embassy in Valencia. In view of danger to our vessels we would wish to make as few trips as possible. Inquire of appropriate Spanish authorities, therefore, whether they would permit as many as 100 Cuban [Page 486] refugees from Madrid to be assembled and evacuated from Valencia at one time. Inquire also whether arrangements could be made to have the examination of these refugees by Spanish officials completed sufficiently in advance to permit of the departure of our naval vessel from Valencia as early as 7 a.m., since we should very much prefer to carry out any evacuation during daylight hours in view of danger from drifting mines.