852.2221 Dahl, Harold/5: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul at Vigo (Graves)
New York Times today carries article by correspondent William P. Carney from Salamanca giving interview with Harold Dahl, American aviator with Spanish Government forces captured recently by insurgents, who is quoted as stating that he and 4 other Americans, names Albert Baumler, Frank Tinker, James Allison and Charles Koch, “were engaged by the Secretary of the Spanish Embassy in Washington who produced contracts for them to sign and provided transportation to Spain”. Dahl is further quoted as stating “I was given a Spanish passport in Mexico, which rebaptized me Hernandez Diaz thus retaining the initials HD of my real name. We traveled on a French liner from Vera Cruz to Bordeaux and I crossed the Franco-Catalan border at Port Bou on December 26 as a Spaniard. [Page 529] Of the other 4 Americans 2 received Spanish passports from the Spanish Embassy at Washington with assumed Spanish names. The 2 others possessed their own American passports when they crossed the Franco-Catalan frontier notwithstanding that the passport of one was marked ‘not valid in Spain.’”
The Department desires to obtain a signed statement in the form of an affidavit from Dahl setting forth all the circumstances incident to the enlistment of himself and his companions and the issuance to them of Spanish passports by representatives of the Spanish Government in this country. This affidavit should be in triplicate.
You should arrange to proceed to Salamanca immediately to obtain an interview with Dahl, keeping the object of your visit strictly confidential. The Times correspondent reports that he was granted a 2-hour private interview with Dahl at the provincial prison in Salamanca.
The Department has just received a telegram from the American Embassy in Paris to the effect that Dahl’s life may be in danger. Please investigate the circumstances and report the results of your investigation immediately to the Department.
Transportation expenses and per diem 6 dollars authorized, charge to transportation Foreign Service Officers.