852.01/476
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom have now received a reply from General Franco to the representations recently made to him by the British Agent at Burgos, as explained in paragraph 4 of His Majesty’s Embassy’s Aide-Mémoire of February 18th. The following is a summary of General Franco’s reply:—
“As the war has been won by the Nationalists the Spanish Government must surrender unconditionally. As already proved, the motives inspiring the Nationalist Government constitute a sure guarantee for all Spain’s other fugitives. The tribunals are restricted to dealing with criminals whose cases fall within the framework of the laws promulgated before July 1936. Spain will not accept foreign intervention calculated to impair her dignity or infringe her sovereignty. Reprisals being alien to the Nationalist Government, the only effect of prolonged resistance will be to postpone the termination of insane resistance and increase the responsibility of their leaders.”
This announcement appears to His Majesty’s Government to be as satisfactory as they could hope for regarding reprisals, which were their chief concern in connexion with their proposed recognition of General Franco.
Señor Negrin requested His Majesty’s Government some days ago to submit to General Franco modified terms of surrender; but the dispersal of the Spanish Government and the diversity of views among [Page 752] them subsequently rendered it impossible to receive their formal assent to the step which they themselves had asked His Majesty’s Government to take.
In these circumstances, and in view of the above statement by General Franco, the French Government are being informed urgently that His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom are strongly of the opinion that the statement in question affords the best opportunity of according recognition to General Franco and one which should not be lost. The French Government are therefore being informed that His Majesty’s Government wish to announce their recognition at the earliest possible moment and in any case not later than February 24th, and they earnestly trust that the French Government will agree and make a simultaneous announcement.38
- On February 23, the Department was advised by the British Embassy that, at the request of the French Government, the British Government had postponed its announcement of the recognition of the Franco government until February 27 (852.01/560).↩