852.00/9024
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The Spanish Ambassador called to see me this morning to let me know that he had now reestablished communication with the Loyalist Government in central Spain, and that he had received a long cable last night.
He was instructed to inform this Government that the Loyalist Government was disposed to cease hostilities and to capitulate provided positive assurances were given by the Franco Government that reprisals would not be undertaken. The Loyalist Government stated that up to this time no satisfactory assurances on this question had been received by either the British or French Governments from General Franco, and that the Loyalist Government would be prepared to fight until the last man unless positive guarantees were given that if they surrendered reprisals would not be undertaken. The Ambassador was informed that reprisals on a mass scale were in progress in Barcelona, and that since the capture of that city by the Franco forces, mass executions of between eight hundred to a thousand people a day had been continuing. The Ambassador stated in conclusion that even if guarantees were obtained and the Loyalist Government capitulated, at least 20,000 families from central Spain would have to be evacuated before the surrender was completed. The Ambassador asked that the influence of this Government be exerted so far as might be possible in order that guarantees against reprisals might be obtained from General Franco. I told the Ambassador that the views of this Government on that question had already been made known to representatives of General Franco.