352.1115/5098
The Secretary of State to the Danish Chargé (Eickhoff)
Sir: I acknowledge the receipt of your note no. 128 of August 19, 1938,93 requesting certain information, on behalf of your Government, regarding the measures which may have been taken by this Government [Page 320] for the repatriation of American citizens residing in Spain, as a consequence of the civil strife in that country. I note that your Government would also appreciate being informed of the attitude of this Government with respect to claims from repatriated citizens for losses incurred in the civil strife in Spain, in the event that a decision has been taken in this regard.
In reply to your note under acknowledgement, I am pleased to furnish the following information with regard to the points raised therein:
- 1.
- No public funds have been appropriated by the Congress of the United States or are available to the Department of State for the repatriation of American nationals abroad, with the exception of funds specifically appropriated for the repatriation of destitute American seamen under certain conditions.
- 2.
- A considerable number of American nationals residing in Spain who were either destitute or temporarily without financial means of their own, have been repatriated since the outbreak of the present conflict in that country with funds made available to the Department of State by the American Red Cross. These funds were made available by the American Red Cross as a special and extraordinary contribution to meet the emergency situation which had arisen, and upon the understanding that they were to be used to assist in the repatriation of destitute Americans residing in Spain when funds for that purpose could not otherwise be obtained from interested relatives or friends in the United States. In general, the Department of State has first endeavored to obtain funds from such relatives or friends before drawing upon the necessarily limited funds placed at its disposal by the American Red Cross. When funds have been provided by relatives or friends in this country the Department has undertaken to transmit them to the appropriate American consular officers in Spain or at some convenient port outside of Spain where arrangements for repatriation to the United States could be made.
- 3.
- American nationals repatriated from Spain with funds provided by the American Red Cross are not required to make repayment of the sums expended in this connection. A number of persons thus assisted have, however, voluntarily reimbursed the Department for the expenditures incurred after their return to the United States.
- 4.
- No special subsidies or other payments from public funds are provided for the support of American nationals repatriated from Spain after their arrival in this country. In case of need such persons are, of course, entitled to receive the same assistance from public sources as any other American nationals residing in the United States.
- 5.
- This Government has not as yet undertaken to consider the presentation of diplomatic claims on behalf of American nationals, for losses suffered by them during the present conflict in Spain of the nature indicated in the second from the last paragraph of your note under acknowledgment.
Accept [etc.]
- Not printed.↩