Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, 1928, Volume I

711.3212Anti-War/12

The Ambassador in Brazil (Morgan) to the Secretary of State

Rio de Janeiro, August 29, 1928.
[Received September 12.]

No. 3052

Sir: I have the honor to report that the Department’s telegram of August 27, 1 P.M.²⁸ was not delivered by the telegraph company at this office until after 7 o’clock on the evening of that day, and that since the Foreign Office was closed for business before that hour it was impossible to hand to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Octavio Mangabeira, until half past eleven on the morning of August 28, the copy of the note the text of which was contained in the Department’s circular telegram of August 16, 12 M. N., accompanied by a copy of the pamphlet entitled “Notes Exchanged between the United States and other Powers on the subject of a Multilateral Treaty for the Renunciation of War. June 20, 1927–July 20, 1928”. This I did in person.

Late yesterday afternoon Dr. Mangabeira’s reply was delivered at this office, a copy of the text of which in Portuguese, accompanied by an English translation, I have the honor to enclose. This reply forms the subject of my telegram to the Department No. 33, of August 29, 3 P.M.²⁹

The text of the Multilateral Anti-War Treaty was published by the local press in Portuguese on Sunday, August 26, and the text of my note to the Foreign Office, together with the text of Minister Mangabeira’s reply, which latter document was supplied by the Foreign Office, were published in Portuguese in the local press this morning. The text of the treaty which was published on August 26, I am informed by the local representative of the United Press, was supplied from Buenos Aires.

The Portuguese text, with English translation, of four short articles which have appeared within the last few days in the local press expressing Brazilian opinion regarding the treaty are herewith enclosed.²⁹

I have [etc.]

Edwin V. Morgan

[Enclosure—Translation]

The Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mangabeira) to the American Ambassador (Morgan)

Rio de Janeiro, August 28, 1928.

LA/70

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of note No. 1382, of the 27th instant, wherein Your Excellency informs me, in the name of your Government, of the text of the collective treaty to outlaw war, which has just been signed at Paris.

2. Your Excellency states, in the note to which I refer, not only the origin of the said treaty but also the procedure adopted in its elaboration, and the reasons why the negotiations on the subject were confined to certain nations. You add, however, that your Government understanding that other States will desire to associate themselves in such a noble movement for peace succeeded in having the necessary provision therefor adopted, and that at any time the respective adhesions will be received with pleasure.

3. Be assured, Mr. Ambassador, that the Brazilian Government at this happy moment rejoices with that of the United States of America and the other States and Dominions authors of the great pact. And its sincerity is so much the greater because in Brazil the principles on which the new treaty has conferred the most solemn of consecrations before being engraved in the very text of the provisions of the Federal Constitution have been in the conscience of the nation, to which principles it never expects to fail to give the fidelity which it owes them whatever the emergency may be.

Taking note, Mr. Ambassador, of your important communication, for which I am cordially thankful, I avail myself [etc.]

Octavio Mangabeira

28. See footnote 24, p. 158.
29. Not printed.
29. Not printed.