852.3300 Motomar/13
The Chargé in Mexico (Boal) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 19.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s confidential telegram 135 [133] of July 8, 3 p.m., 1937, in answer to my telegram 176 of July 6, 3 p.m.,65 in connection with the movements of the Motomar.
In accordance with the Department’s telegram, I have today talked with the Spanish Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, Señor Arguelles, informing him that our Government could not, of course, undertake to prevent legal difficulties from arising for the captain or crew of the Motomar if it should proceed to an American port. I also made it clear to him that such a visit would probably be attended by publicity and speculation as to its purpose.
Señor Arguelles said that Ambassador Gordon Ordas was due to arrive in New York today or tomorrow on the Normandie, and so far as he knew would shortly be in Mexico City. Therefore he would defer any decision as to the movements of the Motomar until the Ambassador’s arrival. He seemed to take it for granted that the ship would not now go to Galveston, and that he might have to send it to Bermuda for the necessary scraping of the bottom and other work. He said that they had considered sending it to Cuba, but, as García Díaz & Company had agents there, they felt they would simply invite legal steps there which would embarrass the Spanish Government and perhaps hold up the further progress of the vessel.
He then said that he and his Government were at a loss to know what to do with the American-made aeroplanes they had purchased in Mexico. He said that President Cárdenas had been adamant in refusing to allow these to be put aboard the Motomar, and he wished our Government could see its way clear to blinking at the matter so that they could avail of these planes. I told Señor Arguelles that I felt quite sure our Government was in no blinking mood with regard to neutrality questions, and that it was perhaps unfortunate that they had gone ahead and purchased material of American origin brought into Mexico under export permits which specified Mexico as the country of ultimate destination.
Señor Arguelles said that they had been working on the idea of selling these planes to some other European government with the thought [Page 593] that they would then ultimately find their way to Spain. I told him I felt sure that any evasion of our neutrality law through such procedure would constitute just as much of an infraction as a direct shipment.
Señor Arguelles said he had been trying to persuade the Mexican Government to sell the greater part of the stock of arms and ammunition it had on hand; but of course the Mexican Government needed most of this and wanted to retain it. However, he had succeeded in buying a small amount of military supplies in the possession of the Mexican Government, which he hoped to put aboard the Motomar soon. He did not say whether this was of Mexican manufacture, but, in view of the Mexican Government’s attitude up to this point and its commitments, I did not deem it wise to ask this question. It seems obvious that we must assume that anything that the Mexican Government now owns and consents to sell to the Spanish Government must be of non-American origin. I did not wish to give Señor Arguelles any grounds for being able to say that any doubts have been expressed on this score.
Señor Arguelles went on to say that he felt certain that if the Motomar got away it would reach a Spanish Republican port in safety, or, at any rate, would not fall into the hands of the insurgents. His implications was that it would be sunk before anything of that kind could happen.
Señor Arguelles then explained his views as to the merits of the present conflict and his belief that the Spanish Republican armies would eventually succeed in cutting their way to the Portuguese border—whence, he said, most of the men and military supplies for the insurgents were coming. He was of course very bitter in his comments on German and Italian policy. He quite frankly said that as his country was at war, he must use every means (by implication, fair or foul) to help it. He is practically alone to carry the burden of his mission here, and is obviously working under considerable strain.
Señor Arguelles expressed his gratitude for our being able to tell him frankly what the outlook was with regard to the Motomar’s suggested visit to Galveston, and obviously considers that in so doing we have rendered him a service.
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩