Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Western Europe, Volume VII, Part 2

326. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

March 23, 1960, 10 a.m.

SUBJECT

• Spanish-U.K. Relations and Reactions to German-Spanish Talks

[Here follows the same list of participants as Document 322.]

During his call on the Secretary, Foreign Minister Castiella turned to British-Spanish relations and mentioned attacks on Spain in the Labor Party press. He said that Selwyn Lloyd on two occasions in Parliament stated that the British Government wanted to improve relations with Spain. He noted incidentally that the British Government was also interested in the situation of Protestants in Spain.

The Secretary stated that he understood that some people in the British Labor Party held extreme opinions on Spain and inquired if any high Labor Party officials participated in the actual fighting during the Spanish Civil War. Ambassador Areilza referred to a Pascual Tomas, who he said was formerly Spanish and now a British citizen, who was prominent in the administrative setup of the British Labor Party. The Foreign Minister mentioned Clement Attlee and Robert Edwards. He said that the latter had been a captain in the International Brigade and had made recent grotesque accusations that rockets and missiles were being manufactured in Spain. He stated this was preposterous but some people appear to believe it. He said that in a UN meeting in 1945 Spain had been absurdly accused of manufacturing atom bombs, with the help of 6,000 German technicians, at Ocara near Toledo, and this was widely publicized in the world press. He noted that at that time Spain had neither the money nor atomic experts to accomplish such work. The Foreign Minister then stated that a similar uproar had been caused by the recent German-Spanish talks with which the United States was fully familiar.¹

The Secretary stated at this point that he had been much impressed by the tactful manner in which the Spanish authorities had handled what might have been a difficult situation arising out of the German-Spanish talks.

Sr. Castiella then stated that Spain’s relations with the U.K. were improving and noted that Mr. Lloyd had invited him to go to London. He repeated his earlier statement that while there had been a Labor Party attack on Spain in Parliament, Mr. Lloyd had stated that the British Government was trying to improve relations. He added that Mr. Lloyd’s remarks were not spontaneous but reflected a Cabinet decision. While there were problems between the U.K. and Spain, Sr. Castiella stated, he expected these would be solved within a few weeks.

0. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Valliere and Van Reigersberg and approved in S on April 1. See also Documents 322–325.
1. Castiella visited West Germany and Berlin November 10–13, 1959.