852.75 National Telephone Co./321: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spain (Weddell) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:17 p.m.]
23. Department’s 12, January 17, 5 p.m. There follows hereunder a translation of a note which has now been received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in response to my note quoted in the Embassy’s No. 10, January 16, noon [midnight]: [Page 860]
“46. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States and in reply to the latter’s note verbale No. 241 of January 19th70 last in which is set forth the interpretation of the Government of the United States of America of the attitude of the Spanish state towards the officials and employees of the National Telephone Company, has the honor to state that in fact in the application of the legal measures which are at present in force in Spain respecting the employment of foreign personnel and the purifying of the same in relation to their activity during the period of Red domination will not exercise any discrimination to the prejudice of the foreign personnel in question which was in the service of the company in question.”
I have replied to this note as follows:
“263. Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of Your Excellency’s note verbale dated February 7 in reply to my communication to you, No. 241 of January 19 regarding the status of the American officials and employees of the National Telephone Company.
In this connection I would greatly appreciate receiving from you a confirmation of my Government’s understanding of the attitude of your Government as set forth on page 2 of my communication, above referred to, which reads as follows: ‘My Government assumes that Americans may also be temporarily appointed or reinstated and occupy their positions pending the clearing of any charges against them as in the case of a very large number of the Spanish employees in the National Telephone Company.’ It is my Government’s desire that this long pending matter of the telephone company may be speedily settled and since you have already, in your esteemed communication of January 8 expressed the intention of your Government to permit the reestablishment of American interests in their former status quo in the National Telephone Company I shall greatly value your aid in bringing this about.
I avail myself of this opportunity to reiterate to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest and most distinguished consideration.”
- See supra.↩