852.00/9211
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Spain (Matthews)
The Secretary of State refers to the penultimate paragraph of telegram No. 631, April 25, 8.00 p.m., from the Ambassador at St. Jean de Luz, which referred to a number of Republican planes, allegedly of American manufacture, reported at that time to be held by the French authorities at Toulouse.
An inquiry addressed by the Embassy in Paris to the appropriate French authorities has elicited the reply that the only aircraft of American manufacture which landed at Toulouse at the time of the retreat of the Spanish Republican army were five Douglas commercial transport planes belonging to the Spanish aviation company Lineas Aereos Postales Españolas. These planes were exported from the United States to Spain before the civil strife in that country began, two under licenses issued by the Secretary of State in November 1935 and April 1936, and the others prior to November 1935, when the licensing system established by the Neutrality Act first became effective. It would not appear, therefore, that the presence of these planes with the Republican army resulted from any violation of the United States law prohibiting the export of arms, ammunition and implements of war to Spain during the existence of the state of civil strife in that country.
[Page 779]It may be added that the appropriate French authorities have informed the Embassy in Paris that these planes have been returned to the Spanish authorities.