852.24/370
The Ambassador in Mexico (Daniels) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 13.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that I received a call from the Spanish Ambassador yesterday morning in connection with the shipment of airplanes of American origin to Spain. The Ambassador pointed out that he had acquired eighteen such planes, which were being held in Veracruz ready for shipment, and he showed his earnest desire that they might leave for Spain in the ship that is to sail shortly from Veracruz. The Ambassador was greatly disturbed because he had been unable to obtain licenses for their export because of what he states is a “scruple of conscience” on the part of President Cárdenas because of the assurances which he gave to this Embassy and the American Government that war material obtained from the United States should not be exported from Mexico, in view of the objection voiced by representatives of our country. The Spanish Ambassador takes the position that all of the planes were acquired prior to the passage of the Neutrality Act on January 6[8]th,49 and consequently has requested me to convey this information to President Cárdenas, stating to him that there would be no objection on the part of the United States to the exportation of this shipment. After hearing his earnest oral appeal, I requested the Ambassador to furnish me a memorandum setting forth his views and information on the planes [Page 585] in question, together with his request. A copy and translation of this memorandum are enclosed herewith.50 The Embassy here has acted in pursuance to the Department’s telegram No. 230 of December 31, 1936.51 In response to the Embassy’s request, President Cárdenas gave assurances that aircraft made in the United States would not be permitted to be shipped from Mexico when and if the United States objected to such shipment.
Of course, the Department knows that the Mexican Government is strongly in favor of the authorities in control of the Spanish Government and very hostile to the efforts of Franco to overturn the Azaña administration. It has sent munitions to aid the Government forces and has given its moral and other support, and if the United States had no objection, it would undoubtedly be glad to permit these planes to go to Spain from this country. It is my opinion that license for the shipment of this aircraft is needed solely because of the statement of President Cárdenas last December, made in response to representations from the Department.
It will be recalled (see my personal letter to Secretary Hull in August, 193652) that the Minister of Foreign Affairs called to say that the Mexican Government would like to buy planes in the United States to ship to the Government of Spain, and wished to be informed of the attitude of the United States Government with regard to such a course. I told him that, in view of my country’s policy of strict neutrality, if we consented to the Mexican Government’s buying planes in the United States for shipment to Spain, we would virtually be doing by indirection that which we would not do by direction.
In view of the fact that the Spanish ship is ready to sail and the urgency of the appeal of the Spanish Ambassador, I beg that you will wire instructions at once so that I may promptly answer the Spanish Ambassador’s request.
Respectfully yours,
- 50 Stat. 3.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1936, vol. ii, p. 624.↩
- Not found in Department files.↩