852.01/525: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 12:35 p.m.]
448. Quinones de Leon asked to see me this morning and showed me a letter he had just received from General Jordana dated March 6. A translation of the letter would run approximately as follows:
“In reply to your letter of March 1st regarding your conversation with the American Ambassador on the subject of recognition by his Government of the National Government you should inform him that it can not, of course, be a question of conditional recognition. It was on this basis and this basis alone that we proceeded with the British and the French Governments.
You may furnish the Ambassador with a copy for purposes of information of the declaration which we gave to the representative of the British Government on February 18, 1939. Signed: Jordana.”
Attached to this letter of Quinones de Leon was a copy of the declaration referred to which reads in translation as follows:
“National Spain has won the war and it therefore is incumbent upon those who have been defeated to surrender without conditions.
The patriotism, high mindedness and generosity of the Caudillo, of which he has given so many proofs in the regions which he has liberated as well as the spirit of equity and justice which govern all the acts of the National Government, constitute a firm guarantee for all Spaniards who are not offenders (delincuentes).
The tribunals of justice, applying substantive laws and procedures promulgated prior to the 16th of July 1936, are limited to judging, within the framework of those same laws and procedures, the authors of crimes (delitos).
Spain is not disposed to accept any foreign intervention which could affect her dignity or infringe upon her sovereignty.
If by prolonging a criminal resistance, the Red leaders sacrifice further lives and cause more blood to flow for their sole personal gain, in view of the fact that the conduct of the National Government and of the Caudillo is exempt from spirit of reprisal, they will only succeed in bringing about the complete crushing of this insane resistance and will considerably aggravate their own responsibilities. Burgos, February 18, 1939.”
I asked Quinones if he had communicated to Jordana precisely what he had said to me with regard to protection of American lives and property and the readiness of the Franco Government to fulfill the normal obligations of the Spanish Government under international law and treaties. He said that he had communicated this to General Jordana together with his statement to me that, of course, this went without saying.
Quinones went on to say that Bonnet had just telephoned to him this morning to ask for the latest news from Spain and that he had had to reply that he had no authoritative information. It was his personal impression, however, that General Franco was delighted that General Miaja and the Madrid Junta were dealing with the Communists of Madrid, since this would eliminate a serious problem before Franco should take the Madrid and Valencia area.
Quinones stated that the Minister of Agriculture of the Franco Government had passed through Paris yesterday and had said to him that the offensive on Madrid was being prepared for the 16th or 18th this month and that it would be in the nature of a spectacle and nothing more. Quinones explained that he assumed this meant that negotiations with Miaja would have been completed by that time and that there would be no resistance.
I have attempted during the past week to obtain some authentic and certain information with regard to atrocities or reprisals which may have been inflicted by the Franco regime in the Barcelona area. Neither Pascua, the former Spanish Ambassador in Paris, nor members of his staff have been able to give me any information which they consider authoritative evidence.
I have also discussed this matter with Pittaluga whom you will remember as De los Rios’ collaborator in Washington. Pittaluga also has no direct information as to atrocities or reprisals.