852.00/4–2346
The Spanish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy in Spain63
Note Verbale
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and, as an addition to its Note Verbale dated the 20th of March past,64 has the honor to report the following facts and circumstances:
- 1.
- The reports frequently received by the Spanish Government which indicate that for some time now there have been in southern France armed groups of Spanish revolutionists, currently indicate that at this time there are strong concentrations of militarily trained [Page 1071] groups which perhaps may add up in total to several thousand men.
- 2.
- The objective of these armed groups, composed of Spanish extremists of miscellaneous tendencies, united to French communists, seems to be the execution of a “coup” on some point of the French border which may render them masters of an area within Spanish territory which, insignificant as it might be, would furnish them with a pretext for installing thereon a republican “Government”.
- 3.
- All the information and data available to this Department lead to the belief that the active revolutionists are trying to plan and execute this attempt in a manner such as to make it appear that the provocation or aggression was not started by them, but by the Spanish Government or its agents.
- 4.
- The presence in these guerrillas or [of?] groups of Soviet officers and the coincidence of other circumstances such as the arrival at Marseille, a few days ago, of the Russian ship Klim Vorochilov, loaded with war implements taken at Nicolaiev and Constanza, bear evidence that there are taking part in these subversive activities Russian agents directed or supported by the Moscow Government.
- 5.
- Both the organization and the equipment of these armed groups and the subversive propaganda developed by the Spanish and French “reds” in southern France are spread unhindered as a result of the passivity not to say complicity of the French authorities who, not only do not prevent the revolutionary work, but support, encourage and assist it.
- 6.
- On several occasions, the complacent passiveness of the French official elements has become clear and open cooperation.
- In the case of the arrival of the Klim Vorochilov at Marseille, for instance, the unloading of arms and ammunition and subsequent transportation of the same inside the country could be effected freely, under the protection of the port authorities and under the supervision of the Soviet Ambassador himself who, it appears, was in person at the pier.
- 7.
- According to other information of recent date, there sailed from Casablanca for Bordeaux a French ship with 300 Spanish refugees, whose fares were paid by some person unknown, and who were going, it seems, to increase the guerrillas who, in southern France, are being organized and operate with full freedom of action.
- 8.
- The information services available to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs likewise point out the presence and activities in certain zones of southern France, i.e., in the Department of Basses Pyrenees, of agents of Russian nationality who are attempting to draw maps and get photographs of the passes and highways leading to the Spanish border.
At this time, when it is attempted to give to universal opinion the impression that the Spanish regime represents a danger to peace, the [Page 1072] Ministry of Foreign Affairs is of the belief that it is necessary to denounce the facts and circumstances above mentioned, and to emphasize that not only is the Spanish Government completely blameless for the serious situation created in southern France, but that there is inherent in this very situation and in the subversive activities carried out by Spanish revolutionary elements who are the instruments of Soviet propaganda effectively supported by France, the serious and clearcut danger threatening peace at the present time.