852.00/9–2148
The Ambassador in Portugal (MacVeagh) to the Secretary of State
No. 352
Sir: With reference to my airgram no. A–319 of September 14, Madrid’s despatch no. 548 of September 19, and related messages,1 I have the honor to add to the Department’s supply of “intelligence” on the recent meeting off the coast of San Sebastián between General Franco, the Spanish Dictator, and Don Juan, the Spanish Pretender,2 by quoting below the account of a person close to the latter, as reported by an American controlled source. My reason for thus perhaps gilding the lily of rumor is that this report is of so detailed and factual a character as to create a strong impression of verisimilitude if not actually to compel belief.
“According to my informant, the interview between Don Juan and General Franco was prepared in a most secret manner by Franco, so that not even his closest collaborators knew his intentions. Artajo, the Foreign Minister, and Fernandez Cuesta, the Minister of Justice, who were with Franco at the time, were thunderstruck to learn of the meeting from an outstanding monarchist of Bilbao: neither one was willing to believe it. The Duke of Sotomayor was chosen by Franco to handle all details of the interview. The motive alleged for it by Franco was his desire to have Prince Carlos, Don Juan’s oldest son, sent to Spain for his education.
“Arrangements were made to have the Azor, with Franco on board, meet the Saltillo, carrying Don Juan, at a specified spot in the Bay of Biscay. It was planned that Franco would board Don Juan’s yacht, but the rough seas made manoeuvring a bit difficult, and so it was necessary to change plans. Then Don Juan went aboard the Azor. As he went aboard he was greeted with the honors paid to a captain-general, and Franco greeted him as “Your Majesty”.
“Franco told Don Juan that he was a hundred percent monarchist and reiterated his desire to restore the monarchy in Spain. He mentioned Don Juan’s father, Alfonso XIII, whose faithful servant he had been; he mentioned other outstanding monarchists, of one of whom, Calvo Sotelo, he had been a great friend. In talking of them [Page 1051] Franco’s eyes filled with tears, but Franco is reputed to cry very easily.
“Franco finally came to the point: he wanted Don Carlos in Spain, where he would be treated as a royal personage and could complete his education. Don Juan refused, giving as his reason that his son could not be educated in Spain because there was no liberty of any kind there; Franco would first have to grant broad liberty of press and propaganda to the monarchists. So long as that was not a reality it was useless to expect that Don Carlos could go to Spain for his education.
“Thus, no agreement was reached, but Don Juan is in an attitude of hesitancy, wondering what reaction will be produced in Franco, and wondering what attitude Franco will take as regards the Spanish monarchists after the demands which Don Juan made on him.
“Don Juan came away from the interview with a bad taste in his mouth. He says Franco is the most cunning and sly person he knows; that his monarchist assertions are false and deceitful; that he is doing nothing but trying to save his own position; that Franco deeply hates the monarchists. The attempts to take Don Carlos to Spain supposedly to be educated are nothing but a snare to obtain possession of his son, then play the role of monarchist by proclaiming an indefinite regency in which Franco would be the only authority. Don Juan will not be persuaded to change his mind for any tears or any phrases of Franco.
“Don Juan was aghast at the reports published in Spanish papers and disseminated by Spanish agencies that it was he who asked for the interview. At the present time he does not intend to issue an official denial, preferring to wait and see what reactions the interview produces on Franco.”
Respectfully yours,