Evening star., 1944-05-02
Spain Will Cut
Wolfram Trade
With Germany
Also Agrees to Gust
Axis Agents; Will Get
Oil From Caribbean
BY JOSEPH H. BAIRD.

SOo1A ~ OlA1ANOs
Secretary of State Hull's pol
icy of cracking down. on neu-
trail aid to the Axis yielded con-
crete results today when it was
announced that Spain had
agreed drastically to cut VOL
fran shipments to Germany, ex-
pei a number of German agents
release certain Italian ships held
in its ports and cease all mill
tary activity against Russia.
Concessions by Spain to Allied
demands followed closely the agree
ment of Turkey to halt chrome ship
ments to Germany. Thus, within
the last fortnight the Reich's sup
plies of two vital ingredients for
munitions have been drastically cut
AS result of the greement with
Spain, announced simultaneously by
the State Department here and by
Foreign Minister Anthony Eden In
the House of Commons, Spain again
will be allowed to purchase bulk oil
in Caribbean countries and minor
amounts of packaged petroleum
products in the United States. These
exports had been cut off completely
in January as a result of Madrid s
earlier refusal to stop aid to the
Axis.
Outstanding points in the Anglo
American-Spanish agreement are:
l. Spanish shipments of wolfram
to Germany will be reduced to 20
tons per month for May and June
and 40 tons per month for the rest
OF the year "if, as practical mat
ter, they can be made" the State
Department said, having in mind
the possibility that Aemrican and
British troops soon may control the
trade routes between Spain and
Germany. !.
These reduced shipments of VOL
fran, or tungsten ore, an ingredi-
ent of hard steel, will total, if con-
tinued, $50 tons for this year as
compared with 1,100 tons the Reich
bought from Spain in 1943, and
January, 1914.
2. Madrid agrees to expel desig-
mated Axis agents from Tangier in
the Spanish Zone across the Strait
OF Gibraltar hotbed of anti
Allied espionage-as well as from
metropolitan Spain. 1t also consents
to the closing Of the German con-
stllate and other Axis agencies In
Tangiers. Although the agents to be
expelled are not publicly designated
it was assumed that they are ones
best placed for espionage work.
8. Spain consents to release five
Italian merchant vessels in its ports
and to arbitrate the question of re-
leasing two others as well as italian
warships now interned. Six italian
merchantmen had been released
previously.
4. Spain states that it has with
drawn all air and ground units
fighting on the Russian front and
retains there temporarily only a
hospital unit and an administrative
unit supervising the withdrawal
The agreement implies, according to
the State Department, that no more
troops will be sent to aid Germany
'Tn view of the foregoing" the
State Department announced, per
mission will now be given for the
renewal of bulk petroleum loadings
by Spanish tankers in the Caribbean
and the lifting from the United
States ports of minor quantities OF
packaged petroleum products in ac-
cordance with the controlled pro-
gram in operation prior to the sus-
pension of such loadings."
The State Department stressed
that under this program oil experts
to Spain will be carefully supervised
to make sure they do not reach
Axis territory. Under the agree
ment in force until February l
which now will be renewed, Spain is
allowed to ship $4,000 tons monthly
to its mainland and $4,000 tons
monthly to it's colonies of bulk Pc
troleum purchased from Caribbean
countries, as we'll as 1,500 tons of
packaged petroleum products from
United States ports.
1t is estimated that As days will
be required for Spanish ships to
pick up their oil cargoes and return
to Spanish ports with them.
All exports of oil were cut off al
the end Of January as a result o1
Spanish recalcitrance in stopping
wolfram shipments to Germany. As
the result of this drastic policy
Madrid at once agreed to a tenn.
porary embargo on wolfram, which
has been in effect during February
March and April. The crack down
on oil for Spain was made neces-
sary when the United States learned
that Germany had been awarded
credits of $40,0O0,0O0 in Spain ir
settlement of Spanish civil war debts
and already had bought up for ex.
port some 1000 tons of wolfram.
During the negotiations, it was
learned, the United States pressed
hard for continuance of a complete
embargo on wolfram. However, the
British, also parties to the negotia
tions, were anxious to come to g
prompt agreement and persuaded
the United States to compromise or
this point.
Three or four months will be re-
quired for the conversion of wolfram
into finished munitions, it was
pointed out at the State Depart
ment, and the future small ship
ments permitted under the agree
ment are regarded as negligible il
their effect on the war.