852.2221/1714: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Spain (Weddell)
73. Embassy at Paris urges that individual certificates of identity and registration be issued to American prisoners released by Spanish authorities prior to their departure from Spain, in order to avoid possibility that any of them may prove unable to qualify for reentry into the United States after their arrival in France, such as was the case with a number of aliens included in group released last April. Since only persons whose American citizenship has been established on the basis of the Department’s telegram No. 67 of August 2, 8 p.m.93 are now in question, it would not appear that such a contingency could arise in the present instance. Nevertheless it is essential that everything possible be done to expedite return of these American citizens once they are released, and you are therefore authorized to issue individual certificates of identity and registration to them before their departure from Spain valid only for travel to the United States. Since the men in question are being assembled at San Sebastian, it would seem that this could be done without difficulty as soon as the identity of the persons to be released has been established on the basis of the information in your possession.
The documents should be turned over to a representative of Paris Embassy for delivery to Consul at port of embarkation.
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