740.00115 EW/6–745

The First Secretary of the British Embassy (Maclean) to the Assistant Chief of Special War Problems Division (Clattenburg)

Dear Clattenburg: Our telephone conversation to-day about German officials in Spain.

In a telegram of May 28th, His Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires at Madrid stated that the question of the disposal of German official personnel was now urgent. The control instituted at the outset was inevitably being relaxed and the only satisfactory solution was that they should all be repatriated, together with as many German agents as possible. If the Spanish Government could be told that arrangements were being made for the early repatriation of these Germans, His Majesty’s Embassy and the United States Embassy would be in a stronger position to press for them to be put in forced residence meanwhile.

The Foreign Office inform us that they are ready to authorise His Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires to make representations, in conjunction with his United States colleague, to the Spanish Government with a view to the Spaniards interning German official personnel. Pending SHAEF’s agreement to accept them, early repatriation could not, of course, be promised to the Spanish Government.

We are instructed to inquire your views.

Yours sincerely,

D. D. Maclean