852.2221/1195
The Ambassador in Spain (Bowers), Then in France, to the Secretary of State
[Received October 4.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that I have succeeded in the exchange of prisoners in which I acted as intermediary at the request of General Franco, and that the fourteen Americans involved will cross the border into Hendaye next week where I shall meet them with David Amariglio, representative of the Friends of the Lincoln Brigade, who has the money to send them home, and who is now waiting here.
After an agreement had been practically made for the exchange of the fourteen aviators and the fourteen privates, the latter Italians for Americans, a difficulty rose because of the mistake in Barcelona of including on the aviation list the name of a Spanish aviator who is [Page 323] a hostage for Colonel Angulo, held by Franco, and under death sentence.
The Government offered a number of propositions in an effort to meet this difficulty:
- 1.
- To exchange the Spaniard on the list for Ajigulo.
- 2.
- To let the original list go through provided an exchange be arranged of Angulo for one of Franco’s officers held by the Government also.
- 3.
- To strike out the exchange of the Spaniard in controversy and the Franco prisoner coupled with him, and let the list go through.
To this I added, as a last resort, the suggestion that General Franco enter into an agreement not to carry out the death sentence against Angulo until an exchange of him for another could be effected.
To all these suggestions Burgos gave a negative reply.
I had brought personal and friendly pressure to bear on Barcelona through the Spanish Ambassador in Paris because of the Americans involved, and Giral replied by proposing that the exchange of the privates, Americans for Italians, proceed at once, and that the difficulty over the aviators be fought out later. I passed this on to Burgos and the Marquis de Rialp came to see me yesterday with an acceptance of this plan.
This is gratifying not only to me because of the Americans involved, but to the International Red Cross, in that it is the first time since the war began that it has been possible to arrange an exchange of military prisoners. This opens the door for the future. The British, acting in cooperation with the International Red Cross, have made futile efforts to arrange such an exchange for eight months, and both the British and the Red Cross assured me I would fail.
The Americans who will cross at Irun follow:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Respectfully yours,