611.5331/171
The Minister in Portugal ( Pell ) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 26.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that, on Friday, October 14, 1938, I was asked to go to the Foreign Office. Mr. Calheiros, the acting officer in charge at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told me that Mr. Bianchi, Portuguese Minister to the United States, after an interview with Mr. Sayre, had reported that the Department was willing to send an officer to Lisbon to assist in formulating a commercial treaty with Portugal; and that this suggestion had been considered by Dr. Salazar who approves of it.
Mr. Calheiros asked me to send a despatch stating that the Portuguese Government would be pleased to receive such a functionary and in this way to support the statement which Mr. Bianchi will probably make to the Department on the subject.
Respectfully yours,