London Embassy Files: Telegram: Lot 59 A 543 Box 1388: File 850 Marshall Plan
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas)
1181. Following is text of aide-mémoire given Secretary April 1 by Brit Ambassador Bogota.1 [Page 411]
“Humelsine from Carter. The Brit Ambassador called to see the Secretary today and left with me the following aide-mémoire:
Mr. Bevin wishes Mr. Secstate to be acquainted privately that the fact that the House of Representatives have reaffirmed the decision to include Spain in the scope of the ‘Marshall Plan’ has caused serious difficulties in England whilst in Italy it has come as a terrible shock. The State Department will appreciate all the steps that have been taken in connection with Italy. Yesterday Mr. Bevin had personal messages from Signor Lombardo to the effect that all the good that had been accomplished has been undone and asking Mr. Bevin to make a statement to retrieve the position.
Mr. Bevin has seen the American Ambassador in London and does not propose to make a statement. He wishes Mr. Marshall to know that it is a most regrettable thing from the point of view of His Majesty’s Government that we cannot bring Spain into this business under any conditions while the Franco Regime lasts as it would cause a complete revolt in the Labor Party as well as amongst many Conservatives who have bitter memories. It seems to make the whole Marshall Plan appear as a lineup behind Fascism and Reaction and is causing great anxiety among our best friends. The Scandinavian and Benelux Trade Unions hold still more strong views on this business.
Mr. Bevin sincerely hopes that steps will be taken by both the Senate and House of Representatives to remedy this at the earliest moment. If it is left until too late before Italian elections it may well be that this one act will have lost the whole position.
Mr. Bevin adds that he hates to disturb Mr. Secretary of State Marshall with a great conference on but he thinks that he should know the European reactions, although Mr. Bevin gathers from the press that he is already conscious of them.
He said that Inverchapel had received duplicate instructions to present the matter to Mr. Lovett.
Please give me basis for reply that Secretary can make to local Ambassador here for transmittal by him to Mr. Bevin.”
- Secretary Marshall was in Bogotá, heading the United States Delegation to the Inter American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace and Security, March 30–May 2, 1948. For documentation on this matter, see vol. ix, pp. 1 ff.↩