852.48/310
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
A commission consisting of Sir Denys Bray and Mr. Lawrence Webster which was appointed by the League of Nations at the request of the Spanish Government to study measures for providing food for refugees in Spanish Government territory has now submitted its report which has been communicated to the members of the Council. The principal conclusions of the report are as follows:—
- 1.
- The number of refugees, most of whom will be in urgent need of relief this winter, is estimated at between 2,400,000 and 3,000,000.
- 2.
- The Commission is satisfied that the existing machinery set up [Page 380] by the Spanish Government for providing public assistance clearly differentiates between refugees and other sections of the population.
- 3.
- The problem is urgent and far beyond the capacity of existing foreign organisations. A comprehensive international scheme is therefore required without delay and appropriate help should be obtained from governments, and especially from nations with surplus stocks of wheat, dried fish, skimmed milk, cocoa and other essential supplies.
- 4.
- A relief commissioner should be appointed for the purpose of guaranteeing that food is distributed only to refugees. Attached to the report are certain financial proposals of the Spanish Government. It is estimated that contributions will be required at the rate of £476,000 per month. It is anticipated than many of these contributions will consist of gifts in kind but the suggestion is also made that the Spanish Government should obtain credits with which to buy food repayable in annual instalments spread over a period of from ten to fifteen years.
His Majesty’s Government have not yet formed any definite views on this report but Lord Halifax feels that in view of the existence of the International Committee for the Assistance of Child Refugees in Spain to which His Majesty’s Government and many other governments have already contributed, and of the size of the problem as disclosed by the report, there would be no object in setting up a fresh organisation unless it were launched upon a really large scale. Such an enterprise if it is to be successful will need the active support of governments and in particular of the United States Government. Relief in kind appears to be mainly a question of surplus foodstuffs which the United Kingdom cannot supply in large quantities. Although France and other countries may be able to contribute, the success of any scheme would seem to depend largely on the attitude of the United States of America.
So far as His Majesty’s Government are concerned the only condition which they would wish to attach would be that the scheme should cover the whole of Spain and should be administered strictly impartially on the basis of the provision of relief wherever it is needed. This is the principle which they have adopted from the start and was the condition upon which they agreed to contribute to the funds of the International Red Cross Committee and of the International Commission. The Spanish Government in approaching the League stated that they had no objection to the expansion of League action to the whole of Spain. As however His Majesty’s Government are informed that there is no similar refugee problem on General Franco’s side, assistance would have to take some other form.
[Page 381]In view of the possibility that the Council will wish to discuss this report at its meeting in January Lord Halifax would be grateful to receive the views of the United States Government as soon as possible.