852.00/5–2545: Telegram

The Ambassador in Spain ( Armour ) to the Secretary of State

1145. In a conversation with the Foreign Minister yesterday, I drew his attention to a despatch from New York dated May 22, from the EFE19 correspondent, published in the papers here, which stated in effect that Franco’s speech last Sunday20 at Valladolid had been interpreted in the US as a reaffirmation of Gen Franco’s support of Falange and as indicating that no immediate change in the existing political regime here was envisaged. I said I could not but feel after reading the speech that this interpretation was a natural and logical one to place upon it. Furthermore, the fact that the local press authorities had permitted the publication of the despatch would, I felt, be taken as confirmation that the Govt approved this interpretation.

Lequerica vigorously denied that this was the interpretation to be given the speech. Today he called me up to say that he had brought the EFE despatch to Gen Franco’s attention and the latter had emphatically confirmed what the Minister had told me.

Armour
  1. Spanish Foreign News Agency, Pedro Gómez Aparicio, Director.
  2. May 20.