701.5211/605
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
Mr. Cardenas called at his own request. He is the present Chargé d’Affaires of Spain pending the appointment of an ambassador by the new government of Franco. He called primarily to pay his respects. I had known him well when he was here as ambassador from his country some years ago. I remarked to him that my people on the border had been through all the horrors of our Civil War and I knew how to sympathize with a people of any country who found themselves in a similar situation; that, therefore, I had visualized [Page 773] the people of Spain as a whole and without reference to the merits or demerits of the matters in controversy; that I had only thought of them from the standpoint of deep sympathy for all alike. Mr. Cardenas then indicated that there were feelings and misunderstandings existing that would need to be cleared up gradually as time went on. I said I assumed as much; that I recalled vividly the difficulties of the reconstruction period following our Civil War. I then emphasized the statement that fortunately the men who had fought on both sides in our Civil War had respect for each other’s bravery and for each other’s honesty of purpose, with the result that many of them came together from both sides and made a marvelous contribution to the work of reconstruction. I then added that doubtless this same state of mind would exist in his country and it would contribute tremendously towards a correspondingly earlier reconstruction for the benefit of the distressed people of Spain; that I wished them every success in this speedy undertaking. Mr. Cardenas did not comment on this view but did not take issue. He then said he would like to ascertain in strictest confidence whom we are recommending to his government for ambassador. I then, in the same confidence, gave him the name and a thoroughly favorable account of the record, personality and standing of the person whom we are proposing to send as ambassador.