File No. 652.119/1429W
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Spain ( Willard)
1418. Instruct consuls in Spain that Department is at present considering plan of bunker control whereby all Spanish line vessels bound for America be required to put in at Porto Rico. This plan proposes bunker arrangement with Spain whereby all passengers on Spanish ships must have passport visés from American consular officers. Present information indicates Mexican consular official, Bilbao, has issued “laisser passer” or permits to enter Mexico, to persons of different nationalities, which documents are in no sense passports, but which have been viséd by Cuban Consul, Bilbao, … and by use of which bearers have obtained passage on Spanish vessels. Person bearing such documents without having passport from government of country of which he is subject should not under any circumstances receive visé if application is made to you.