852.79662/10–644: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant )78
8191. The Spanish and Portuguese Governments have been requested to suspend immediately and permanently the Lufthansa service between Germany and the Iberian Peninsula. It has been pointed out to these Governments that these services are even more obnoxious to us now than heretofore in view of the fact that they pass over our military lines. The Spanish Government has indicated reluctance to comply with our request, stating that the service is essential to Spain in order to maintain contact with its diplomatic missions in Germany and Central Europe. The Portuguese Government is obviously waiting to see what action Spain takes.
Please request the British Government to make similar representations to the Spanish and Portuguese Governments. Hayes reports that in his conversations with Lord Templewood the British seem to feel that the service is useful to our ends in that it provides the only means of effecting the expulsion of German agents from Spain. The British do not appear to appreciate the two-directional nature of the service both in the carriage of passengers and enemy intelligence material.
The Mission at Paris is being instructed to encourage a French diplomatic protest to Spain on the basis that Spain, by affording terminal landing facilities, is making itself a direct party to violations of French territorial air by aircraft of an enemy of France.
- The same, mutatis mutandis, on the same day, to Madrid, Lisbon, and Paris, as Nos. 2721, 2684, and 105, respectively.↩