File No. 763.72/1139
The Minister in Portugal (Birch) to the Secretary of State
Lisbon, October 9, 1914.
[Received October 28.]
No. 39]
Sir: I have the honor to inform the Department by way of further confirmation of predictions made in my former despatches that Portugal will unquestionably enter the European War, that I have just returned from the Portuguese Foreign Office after an interview with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in which he stated that his Government would enter the war just as soon as called upon by the British Government to lend assistance. It is my opinion that there already exists between the Governments of the two nations an understanding of recent origin that England will make the above request just as soon as the Portuguese Army, which at present appears to be undergoing reorganization, can be gotten in readiness to enter the conflict.
I have [etc.]