852.01/176
The Minister in Portugal (Caldwell) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received December 4.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the announcement of the recognition of the Burgos Government by Germany and Italy, made public here day before yesterday, had already been so largely discounted as to cause no surprise. On the other hand, the fact that Portugal did not extend expected recognition at the same time was a subject of comment, to which even the Diario da Manhã (semi-official organ of the Government) made guarded reference in a leading article on the subject.
The chief reason for Portuguese delay in extending immediate recognition to the Burgos Government, for which its active sympathy has never been concealed, was probably an unwillingness to extend recognition at a time and in a form when such a step might be generally regarded as marking adherence to an international group under the leadership of Hitler and Mussolini, and consequently capable of interpretation as an unfriendly gesture to France and especially to Great Britain, with which latter country Portugal has so long been bound by the engagements of the Anglo-Portuguese alliance.
This interpretation seems to be borne out by the fact that the Chargé d’Affaires of the Argentine Republic was called to the Foreign Office day before yesterday and was informed without further explanation that Portugal intended to recognize Burgos in the near future; from which incident I am led to believe that Portugal would prefer, if possible, to make her recognition coincide with that of certain South American countries, particularly Brazil, Argentina and Chile,—countries which cannot possibly be regarded as having any immediate interest in the bitter rivalries by which Europe appears to be divided.
On the other hand, although Portugal has not made her recognition simultaneous with that of Germany and Italy, it is now by no means certain that she will be willing, as she has on other occasions in the past, to await or follow either French or British policy in this respect.
In this connection, although in the circumstances Portugal cannot be expected in questions of diplomacy to give strong and immediate support to either Italian or German policy, in matters of internal policy and of fundamental sympathy the close similarity between the principles of government which are now found in Germany, Italy [Page 571] and Portugal are frankly recognized by leading newspapers, most of which are regarded as semi-official in character.
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Respectfully yours,