File No. 611.326/49
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Brazil ( Morgan)
Your June 4, 5 p.m. You should ask for an interview with the President and read to him the following leaving with him a copy thereof:
I have not failed to inform my Government of Your Excellency’s remarks to me at our conference on June ——. My Government finds it difficult to understand Your Excellency’s statement that the United States is disregarding Brazil’s essential interests and preventing her from contributing her quota to the cause of the Allies. I am instructed to point out to Your Excellency that the United States Government out of sincere friendship for Brazil and on account of the fact that Brazil is associated with this Government in the war against the Central Empires, has refrained up to the present time from placing embargo restrictions upon the importation of coffee from Brazil to the United States. It is true that there are not now as many ships operating between the United States and Brazil as there were before the United States entered the war, due of course to the pressing need for military purposes of all available tonnage. Consequently it has not been possible either to transport from Brazil to the United States or from the United States to Brazil as great [Page 706] an amount of the products of each country as was customary before the United States entered the war. It is feared that in the future this situation will grow worse rather than better inasmuch as the United States in cooperation with the Allies is planning to adopt for itself a program involving an embargo against the importation into the United States of all commodities not essential for war purposes and for the civilian needs of this country. My Government has explained to Ambassador da Gama that full conference with Brazil was desired before any further steps were taken in this respect so that means might be devised to safeguard properly the interests of the Brazilian people whose cooperation in everything pertaining to the war the United States earnestly desires.
Your Excellency’s statement that the present position of this Government is considered by many senators and deputies of Brazil as calculated to prevent Brazil from contributing her quota to the cause of the Allies has led my Government to consult with the French, British and Italian Governments through the medium of the French High Commissioner to the United States, Lord Reading and the Italian Ambassador and High Commissioner. The British, French and Italian Governments have advised their representatives in Washington to state to my Government that they are interested in the situation in Brazil and that in order to afford positive proof to the Government and people of Brazil that the closest possible cooperation exists between Brazil and the other Governments associated in the war against the Central Powers, they would gladly join in any conference to be held in Washington having as its purpose the devising of a plan under which Brazil, the essential interests of her people being adequately protected, might contribute to an even greater extent than she heretofore has to the efforts of the United States and the Allies successfully to terminate the war against the Central Powers. Accordingly my Government, fully appreciating the many economic and industrial questions which will confront Brazil on account of interferences caused by military necessity to the customary trade relations between the United States and Brazil and mindful of the traditional friendship long existing between our two countries, closer now than ever before, united as we are in purpose to defeat the common foe, proposes to Your Excellency that a conference be speedily held in Washington to be attended by Lord Reading, the French High Commissioner, the Italian Ambassador, His Excellency Ambassador da Gama and the Secretary of State of the United States to adopt a plan whereby the essential economic interests of Brazil may be properly protected so as to permit her to utilize her great resources in the most effective manner possible in the prosecution of the war. My Government believes that only in this way can the difficult problems presented be properly solved.
You should discreetly point out to the President that this Government would be most gratified if Da Gama could for the purposes of these negotiations be named a special commissioner. … you should also make it clear to the President that unless these negotiations take place in the near future and unless the Brazilian representative is [Page 707] clothed with power sufficient to enable him, after of course receiving his Government’s approval, to enter into arrangements whereby the fourteen German interned vessels and such other boats under Brazilian control as can be spared shall be used in the most economical way possible in the interests of the Associated Governments, this Government fears that great injury will necessarily result to Brazil by reason of very drastic regulations prohibiting the importation of coffee from Brazil to the United States. In the event that a satisfactory arrangement can be arrived at whereby a considerable amount of tonnage is placed at the disposal of the Associated Governments this Government would be prepared to assume its share of the financial obligation made necessary by the resultant interference with the Brazilian coffee and other industries. The Department believes however that commitments of this nature should be made only after the fullest conference between the representatives named above who will of course call in expert advisers to assist them.
This whole matter is considered urgent and important and you are requested to use every effort you properly can to have the proposal of this Government adopted at once. The quoted part of this telegram has been shown to the British, French and Italian representatives and they have promised to cable their representatives definite instructions to confer with you and to support your representations for this conference. Please confer with your French and British colleagues before calling on the President. It is essential that in this matter the French, British and ourselves act as one.