711.52/464: Telegram
The Chargé in Spain (Butterworth) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 11—6:40 a.m.]
1616. Embassy’s 1568 of May 6, 4 p.m. In the course of a conversation yesterday the Under Secretary of the Foreign Office referred to the statement made by Jordana to the Ambassador and said that there was no question but that the closing of the German Consulate General in Tangier would be accomplished within a reasonable time and he recited the steps that had been taken by the Spanish Government with the German Government both in Madrid and Berlin. It seemed evident that Jordana is taking the obvious course of attempting to effect the closing of the German Consulate General by order [Page 545] direct from Berlin or through the German Embassy in Madrid before resorting to more forceful methods in Tangier.
There is very good reason to believe that regardless of Castillo’s statement quoted in Tangier’s 107, May 8, 7 p.m., that Orgaz has, as he so stated, not yet received instructions from Madrid except possibly as regards the Japanese Assistant Military Attaché.
Therefore as regards the last sentence of Tangier’s telegram under reference my own feeling is that since we have made an agreement approved by the Council of Ministers and Franco we should avoid being drawn into subsidiary negotiations and hold the Spanish Government here responsible for implementing appropriately its undertakings.
Repeated to Tangier and Algiers.