108
700.00116/360
Memorandum of a Press
Conference of the Secretary of State
[Extract]
[WASHINGTON,] June 11, 1938.
At the press conference this morning a
correspondent said that there was a report in the morning newspapers to the
effect that the Secretary was considering some plan in connection with the
bombings, pointed toward discouraging the sale of American bombing planes
abroad. Asked whether he could add anything to this report, the Secretary
replied that with regard to the British invitation to participate in an
investigation of bombings in Spain, the Department had not taken any
affirmative action thus far. With regard to the bombing of civilian populations
and the probable danger to Americans and American interests in other parts of
the world, he said he had made repeated public statements condemning the
bombing of civilian populations. He said that he was continuing to maintain
that position and to declare to everybody that this Government does condemn the
bombing of civilian populations or its material encouragement. He declared that
he was saying this abroad and saying it at home to the American people and
especially to the manufacturers of bombing planes.
A correspondent inquired whether in the last
few days these well-known views had been expressed to the manufacturers of
bombing planes. The Secretary said that he was saying these things to the
American people just as he had said them for the benefit of other nations, that
they had been said frequently in the past and will be said frequently in the
future to the American people and to the manufacturers. A correspondent asked
whether this meant that the Administration or the Government would frown on all
future sales of American airplanes that could be used for bombing purposes or
whether the Government would encourage them to pick their customers. The Secretary
replied that his public statements condemning the bombing of civilian
populations would discourage sales to regions where they would be used to bomb
civilian populations.
421