711.52/368: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spain (Hayes) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:59 p.m.]
682. Your 515, February 24, 10 p.m. In my conversation with Jordana this morning he confirmed that limitation on exports of wolfram to Germany to be based on total export licenses issued during 1943, that exports to Germany during 1944 would be drastically reduced to as low as 10% of total exports during 1943, and that within that figure there would be included the shipments made during January of this year. In view of January shipments he proposed that there be no further shipments to Germany during the first 6 months of this year and that the arrangement for the second 6 months be subject to future discussion.
I said I could not agree to the 6-month periods dating from the beginning of the year and that the minimum my Government might accept would be that it apply from the date of the agreement. Jordana stated he could not accept this revision until he received necessary authority from the Cabinet and as the Cabinet would meet tomorrow he would call me immediately upon receiving its decision.
When I informed him that information in our possession indicated total exports for 1943 were about 3100 tons Jordana remarked that he did not have before him the exact figures. He expressed the hope [Page 354] that we would be prepared, as soon as the wolfram matter was arranged, to resume shipments of petroleum products on a scale which would compensate for the period of suspension and asked whether we would be prepared to continue wolfram purchases. I stated that once the general wolfram problem was solved we would be prepared to consider means of strengthening Spanish economy and to this end we would wish expeditious detailed negotiations and that we would give sympathetic consideration to his request that we continue wolfram purchases for a time at really reasonable commercial prices.
I stated that my Government considers that upon the conclusion of an understanding on wolfram all matters at issue will have been settled. I summarized the other matters as follows (1) the German Military Mission and the German Consul in Tangier will be expelled and sabotage and espionage activities of German agents in Spain and North Africa will be stopped; (2) Spanish units on the Russian front and in Germany will be immediately dissolved and repatriated and no new units or relief will be allowed to leave Spain; (3) all Italian merchant vessels will be released except two to be held by Spain on charter pending settlement of ownership by arbitration; (4) question of release of Italian warships will be submitted to arbitration as proposed by him. I pointed out that the latter agreement was a considerable concession from our standpoint in view of our conviction of our strong legal position.
Jordana gave me a résumé of the steps already taken by Spain to implement the foregoing agreements. Agreement has been reached with the Germans insofar as concerns item number 2. The Germans have already agreed to withdraw their military mission from Tangier but the question of the suppression of the German Consulate has not yet been discussed with the Germans although the Spanish Government is prepared to take immediate action in this matter. On items 3 and 4 we are in full agreement.
Jordana stated that the Spanish Government is under strong pressure from the Germans. He showed me a note from the German Embassy which he stated was based on a Reuters despatch dated February 22 from Washington reported to have originated with the New York Times to the effect that Jordana had submitted a proposal to limit wolfram shipments to Germany to some small token amounts which was acceptable to the British but that the Americans were intransigeant in demanding a complete embargo. This and other leakages have made much more difficult the position of the Spanish Government vis-à-vis the Germans who have used them in their attempts to disturb relations between the United States and Spain.
Jordana requested in this connection that immediately after full agreement on wolfram is reached and before there is general publicity [Page 355] concerning steps to be taken by the Spaniards, the Secretary issue a statement similar to statement made by Eden last week.71 He said this would have the result of disabusing the public of the impression which the Germans are fostering that the United States is tougher than Britain. I, myself, believe that such a statement should be made immediately, particularly in view of progress made recently.
I shall report Cabinet decision on proposed 6 months’ suspension of wolfram shipments to Germany as soon as I receive it. If favorable, I request authority to authorize sailings of Spanish tankers nominated in my 540 February 15, 10 p.m.72 for March 21–22 loadings. I request immediate reply on this point.
Repeated to Lisbon.
- Apparently reference is to the statement Mr. Eden made in a speech on February 23, 1944, in the House of Commons when he said: “In the dark days of the war … the attitude of the Spanish Government, in not giving our enemies passage through Spain, was extremely helpful to us. It was especially so at the time of the North African liberation.” For text of speech, see Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 397, col. 933.↩
- Not printed.↩