852.00/8050
The Ambassador in Spain (Bowers), Then in France, to the Secretary of State
[Received June 7.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that since the alleged promise was made the Vatican by General Franco to discontinue the ruthless bombing of civilians, after the bestial bombing of Barcelona, these bombings have been resumed on a large scale. When the bombing of Barcelona on a big scale was discontinued, the bombers from the Balearic Islands, Italians and Germans, turned their activities against the smaller coast towns without delay. This, presumably, on the theory that no foreign press correspondents would be found in these smaller places to report the ghastly details. No protests of any sort were made against this.
During the last week these activities have been greatly intensified in cities like Valencia and Alicante, especially, where the deaths proportionately were as great as in Barcelona. While no Governments have taken cognizance of this, the consular representatives in Alicante, including even those of Guatemala and San Salvador, entirely in sympathy with the Fascist movement in Spain, have made their resentment felt in a Note of sympathy to the Civil Governor of Alicante.
It will be observed that among the other nations represented in this protest are France, Belgium, Argentina, Cuba, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Holland, Uruguay, Finland, Paraguay, Peru, Santo Domingo and Bolivia.
Great Britain and the United States are the only nations of any consequence represented in Alicante that have not joined in this Note. Our absence is necessitated by our wise decision not to take part in joint actions, but the failure of Great Britain to join is noteworthy.
The Note follows:
“The consular representatives of the following countries, France, Cuba, Argentina, Belgium, Denmark, Czecho-Slovakia, Sweden, Holland, Uruguay, Finland, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, Santo Domingo, San Salvador, Liberia, and Bolivia, wish to express their deepest sympathy with your Excellency on the tragic results of the aerial bombardment to which Alicante was subjected this morning.
“The fact that this grievous attack was directed on the centre of the town away from all military objectives, and that therefore the many victims were of the civil population, makes your Excellency’s grief the deeper, and renders our condolences, which arise not from political interest but from purely humanitarian sentiments, the more necessary. The high qualities of your Excellency are the best guarantee of the measures which will be adopted to assist the stricken population.
[Page 201]“To this end we have the honour to offer your Excellency our fullest support, and to express our share in the town’s mourning we will fly our flags at half-mast for three days.”
I have observed a routine course by General Franco in the matter of bombing of civilian populations over a period of many months—in fact since the beginning of the war. In every instance where his forces in the field have been unable to make progress or where his forces have suffered any reverse on the battle-field, he invariably has taken his revenge by savagely bombing the civilian peoples.
Anyone familiar with Alicante, as I am, can realize the horrors of the bombing there. The death list in proportion to the population was heavier than in Barcelona when the protests were made by Great Britain and France and when the press reported that the Vatican had exacted from General Franco a promise to discontinue that form of savagery.
Respectfully yours,