711.52/423a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Spain (Hayes)9
1131. Our position remains exactly as outlined in our 936, April 4. The so-called Alba proposal referred to in our 979, April 7, has been disavowed and is not involved in our considerations. In brief, therefore, the only proposal under consideration involves a maintenance of the embargo on wolfram until June 30 and permits shipments at the rate of 50 tons a month for the second 6 months of 1944.
Since our 1066, April 17,10 the Prime Minister has again approached the President urging that we accept the latest Spanish proposal which involves shipments during April, May and June. The President last night replied to the Prime Minister and again called for British support in our effort to obtain the maintenance of the embargo through June. This morning Sir Ronald Campbell11 called at his own request in order to give the British reply to the suggestions I had made to Lord Halifax as outlined in our 1066. I told Campbell that since my talk with the British Ambassador there had been certain additional developments. I told him of your reports which sum up the situation and in which you indicate that you feel that the possibility of Spain yielding to our terms has definitely improved, and I then read to him the eighth paragraph of your 1375.12 In connection with my suggestion that the oil might be supplied by the British Government, I pointed out that there appear to be numerous technical difficulties involved in this matter by which the State Department and other branches of this Government would be required to issue permits for the movement of this oil. In any event there would be an attack on us for any shipments of oil to Spain; that such an attack would affect [Page 398] to a lesser extent the British than it would us, and that the two Governments would probably be charged with manipulation or some mysterious reason which no one could understand. I called his attention to the fact that word is already being circulated that the British and the Americans have split on their policy toward Spain. I told him of the President’s message to the Prime Minister and stated that it was manifest to us that we and the British should make a further effort to press Spain into acceptance of our terms including continued suspension of wolfram shipments between now and July, and that the British may not have given the fullest final nudge to the Spaniards and that is what is now called for.
The Minister then gave me the British proposal in response to the suggestion contained in our 1066. This was to the effect that the British would take over the supplying of oil to Spain but that they would expect this Government to give its approval or support. I told him that I had been careful not to commit this Government to support the British in this matter but I had said that we would do what we could to express our appreciation of the special situation of the British Government which would differ from that facing us. I repeated that it was very important for the British to go in with us and make this final drive on Spain; to accomplish what we want would avoid the difficulties inherent in the handling of the oil shipments and the publicity involved in case Great Britain were to furnish the oil as suggested. Campbell reluctantly said that he would send this suggestion on and implied that he would recommend it to his Government. I said that if this suggestion failed of acceptance we would then return to the other proposition and see what could be worked out in detail in the light of circumstances as they might then be.