862.20252/11–2144: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spain (Hayes) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 22—10:24 a.m.]
3807. Reurtel 3052, November 17, 7 p.m. Despatch No. 3389, November 983 contains copies of exchange of notes with the Foreign Office on the expulsion of Axis agents. However, the situation to date can be summarized as follows:
- 1.
- Tangier. Of the 21 Italians named, 20 have left Africa but none Spain. Of 42 Germans named, excluding staff of German Consulate General, 31, October 31 had left North Africa; since that time 4 more have gone. Just 9 of the 35 are known by us to have left Spain.
- 2.
- Spain. There has been no action taken to expel from Spain Italian Socialist Republican Representative Morreale or 29 Italians listed in Embassy’s note 2827, July 28 (no doubt due to vulnerability of Spanish interests in North Italy). Of 220 German agents listed by the British Embassy to the Spanish Government June 6, 71 are Spanish, and 31 left before May 2, thus reducing list to 118, of which Foreign Office stated 57 have departed. Of the remaining 68 Foreign Office indicated orders were given October 23 to intern 19 and on November 6 a further 19 and concludes that “from the total of non-Spanish agents named in list of June 6 hardly a dozen cases remain to be dealt with”, a conclusion we cannot quite follow and are requesting explanation.
The Department will note that in enclosure to despatch No. 3389 the Foreign Office gives assurance that orders for transfer to residence at Caldas de Malavella (near Gerona) subject to “strict vigilance” have been issued for those German agents under expulsion order but unable to leave, a detailed list of whom is promised in due course.
Repeated to Tangier by courier.
- Not printed.↩