352.115 Eastern States Petroleum Co./59
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Office of Arms and Munitions Control (Green)
Judge Moore,23 after consulting with Mr. Dunn,24 Mr. Moffat25 and Mr. Green as to the measures to be taken with a view to the immediate release of the Nantucket Chief and its captain now held by the Franco Governmen at Palma de Mallorca, requested Mr. William S. Culbertson, former Ambassador to Chile, to call at his office this morning. Mr. Culbertson, now a Washington attorney, is acting as counsel for Señor Juan Cardenas, former Spanish Ambassador in Washington and now unrecognized agent in this country of the Franco Government. Mr. Culbertson called in compliance with Judge Moore’s request. Mr. Dunn, Mr. Moffat and Mr. Green were present during the conversation.
Judge Moore explained briefly to Mr. Culbertson the circumstances surrounding the capture of the Nantucket Chief, and outlined the contents of the reports received by the Department in regard to the action of the authorities in Palma in this case and the nature of the efforts, thus far unsuccessful, which the Department has made to bring about the release of the ship and its captain. He emphasized the seriousness with which the Department regarded the case, referred briefly to the inevitable effect upon public opinion in this country of the holding of an American ship and the imprisonment of an American citizen in such circumstances, and discussed in some detail the action which this Government might feel called upon to take should the Franco authorities carry out their apparent intention to hold the ship and imprison the captain.
At Judge Moore’s request, Mr. Dunn and Mr. Moffat added some details in regard to the seizure of the ship and the action already taken by the Department to effect its release, and Mr. Green explained the attitude adopted hitherto by the Department toward transactions involving exports to Spain.
Mr. Culbertson said that he fully shared the Department’s serious view of the situation which had developed as a result of the seizure of the Nantucket Chief and of the situation which would result if [Page 270] that seizure became the subject of widespread comment in the press and in Congress. He said that the Department had been more than fair in its treatment of Señor Cardenas and that he would immediately communicate with his principal and urge upon him the necessity of persuading his Government to free the ship and the captain immediately.
Early this afternoon Mr. Culbertson telephoned Mr. Green and said that he had just had a telephone conversation with Señor Cardenas. He said that Señor Cardenas had told him that he had already telegraphed to his Government urging the release of the ship and the captain, and that he would immediately do so again in stronger terms and would request a reply. Mr. Culbertson said that as soon as a reply had been received he would communicate its substance to the Department. He added that he was preparing a letter to Señor Cardenas on the basis of this morning’s conversation in which he was emphasizing the seriousness of the situation and the necessity in its own interests for immediate action on the part of the Franco Government.
February 2, 1938.
Mr. Culbertson telephoned Mr. Green’s office this morning and read a telegram which he had just received from Señor Cardenas as follows: “Matter submitted to me this morning satisfactorily settled.”
Mr. Culbertson said that he assumed that this telegram must mean that Señor Cardenas had received information from Spain that the Nantucket Chief and its captain had been released. He said that he would endeavor to obtain further details from Señor Cardenas and that he would telephone me later.