511.3B1/13

The British Appointed Ambassador on Special Mission (Grey) to the Secretary of State

No. 904

Sir: I have the honour to inform you, by direction of my Government, that they have recently made enquiries of the Brazilian Government [Page 201] through His Majesty’s Ambassador at Rio as to the prospect of the Brazilian Government signing the Arms Traffic Convention.

It will be recollected that the Brazilian Government did not sign on September 10th nor subsequently when the other Allied and Associated Powers did so.

His Majesty’s Government are informed by a firm interested in the export trade that since September 10th last they have been unable to export to Brazil various articles of naval armament in fulfillment of obligations incurred during the war and their works are becoming seriously hampered by the very large stocks which this disability obliges them to retain on the premises. On being approached the Brazilian authorities seemed vague on the subject of the Convention and stated that they had no intention of signing it, at all events in the near future. His Majesty’s Government have accordingly considered themselves obliged to withhold licenses for the exports in question in virtue of the Protocol attached to the Arms Traffic Convention and in spite of the fact that Brazil is an Ally.

In informing you of the above circumstances, I am instructed to express the hope that His Majesty’s Government may receive an expression of the views of the United States Government as to the propriety of selling arms and ammunition intended for a war-like use to the Brazilian Government, at as early a date as possible.

I have [etc.]

(For H. M. Ambassador)
R. C. Lindsay