852.01/493
Extract From a Memorandum of a Press Conference, February 17, 1939
Mr. Welles36 said he thought it was desirable for him to refer to an article published today in the Washington Herald with regard to the attitude of this Government on the question of the recognition of the Franco Government in Spain, an article which he said was undoubtedly inadvertently inaccurate. He went on to say that in response to inquiries from representatives of certain other American Republics as to the position of this Government, it was stated that we have been following a policy which we have pursued since the outbreak of the civil war in Spain; that we believe it is primarily a European question and one of more intimate concern to the nations geographically in greater proximity to Spain than the United States and for this reason there was no occasion for any precipitous decision on our part and no decision on the matter had as yet been arrived at by this Government.
A correspondent asked whether any effort had been made to arrive at a sort of common Pan-American stand with regard to Spain. The Under Secretary said that some governments had suggested that the question of recognition might be considered a continental one. This seemed to him somewhat difficult in view of the circumstances which already existed insofar as some of the governments had already accorded recognition to the Government of Franco some time ago and some had done so more recently. Consequently he said this Government felt that it was not a continental question but a matter for each American republic to determine as it saw fit.
Asked what governments were informed of this Government’s attitude, the Under Secretary said that enquiries had been made of us by the Governments of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia and that the Government of Peru had informed us of the decision to recognize Franco before it formally announced that action. Asked whether approaches made by most of the countries mentioned had been to propose joint Pan-American action or whether the majority of them simply enquired what our plan was, the Under Secretary said these were rather difficult questions to answer, some of the governments having informed us of their point of view and others having requested ours. With regard to the specific question as to whether they considered it a matter of continental solidarity, some gave us their point of view and others asked for ours.
Asked whether this Government was taking note of the fact that the Franco Government had concluded a cultural pact with Germany, the Under Secretary said that note had been taken of it in the fact [Page 747] that the Department had received the information of such a pact. Asked whether there had been official notification, Mr. Welles answered in the negative and said he merely had seen it in the press.
A correspondent enquired whether he was correct in the assumption that in the opinion of this Government the doctrine of non-recognition was not involved in the Spanish situation. The Under Secretary replied that if it were agreeable to the correspondent he would defer his reply for further consideration.
- Sumner Welles, Under Secretary of State.↩