740.0011 European War 1939/26320: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spain (Hayes) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 8—3:15 p.m.]
1993. While there is good evidence Germany is carrying on a war of nerves in Spain endeavoring to implant distrust of us in Spanish minds and to arouse fear in our minds of German invasion (probably in order to hold large American forces in French Morocco) I have been unable to detect any real indication either that Spain has any offensive intention against us or that Germany plans to come into Spain in the near future.
[Page 319]Two excellent sources recently arrived from France say German forces in formerly unoccupied France largely concentrated on Mediterranean Coast and busy preparing fortifications and air fields. They saw five German troop trains going north in Rhone Valley and heard of eight more going in same direction same day. They report light German forces in Spanish border area and no restrictions civilian movement that area.