840.50 Recovery/4–648: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Spain
207. Following reply was made by Secretary to Brit Amb Bogota1 in response to aide-mémoire text2 being repeated separately:
“I would appreciate your sending following message to Mr. Bevin in reply to message which you were good enough to convey to me in your aide-mémoire Apr 1.
I have fullest understanding for concern expressed by Mr. Bevin at proposal for immediate inclusion of Spain in ERP, which appeared to be effect of amendment passed by House of Representatives Washington on Mar 30.3
Mr. Bevin will no doubt have seen statement made in Washington by President’s Press Secretary4 on April 1 to effect that President was opposed to inclusion of this amendment. Amendment has now been deleted5 and view of US Govt remains that initiative on inclusion of Spain remains with Governments represented at original conference of CEEC in Paris”.
- Gilbert MacKereth, British Ambassador in Colombia. Secretary Marshall was in Bogota to attend the Ninth International Conference of American States. March 30–May 2, 1948; for documentation on this conference, see vol. ix, pp. 1 ff.↩
- Not printed.↩
- A resolution introduced by Representative Alvin E. O’Konski, of Wisconsin, to make Spain eligible to participate in the European Recovery Program, was adopted on March 30.↩
- Charles G. Ross.↩
- The amendment was not included in the final version of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1948, which is public Law 472, 80th Congress (62 Stat. 137).↩