852.2221/1131
The Consul at Paris (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 19.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the question of the repatriation of American volunteers from Spain and to inform the Department that since the arrival in France of Mr. David Amariglio, the Paris representative of the Friends of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, approximately 150 so-called American volunteers have entered France from Spain. Of these there are at present thirty-six men in France, of whom six are American citizens and the balance foreign nationals.
The latter present a difficult problem as almost all of them arrived without adequate identification or other documents necessary under our immigration laws and regulations. Because of the absence of papers of identity the French authorities in turn have imprisoned some twenty of these men for technical violation of French regulations concerning sojourn in France. In these cases the Embassy has been lending its informal assistance to Mr. Amariglio in his efforts to regularize the situation of the men. Some of the cases however are dubious and we have not been able, for example, to verify previous legal entry into the United States, et cetera.
Financial Support
The Department may also be interested to know that Mr. Amariglio states that he has been successful in obtaining $21,500 to assist in defraying the expenses of subsistence, repatriation, etc., of returning volunteers, from Mr. Louis Fischer, an American citizen, bearer of passport No. 435103 issued June 7, 1937, at Washington, and a correspondent of The Nation.… I am informed that he enjoys the confidence of Señor Negrín and other members of the Spanish Government and that he acts as confidential agent of the Government on a number of matters. The Department will recall Ambassador Bullitt’s telegram No. 907 of June 10, 1938, relating to Mr. Fischer.
In addition to Mr. Fischer’s contribution, Mr. Amariglio has just received a total contribution of $10,000, comprising 83 gifts of approximately $120 per returning volunteer, from Mr. Bernard Baruch. The contribution happened to be made in my presence and Mr. Baruch said that he had intended to do this for some time as he thought something should be done “to get those boys back home”.
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Respectfully yours,