740.00/1328
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Moffat)
The Portuguese Chargé57 came in to explain that whereas the American Government had very kindly supplied the Portuguese Government with the official text of the President’s message to Chancellor Hitler, and suggested that some sort of statement or comment would be useful, this had occurred at the very same time that the Portuguese Minister in Washington had orally expressed to the Secretary of State admiration for the President’s initiative. The Portuguese Government felt that the Minister’s remarks in effect complied with the suggestion of the American Minister at Lisbon.
I asked the Chargé whether he had any news about the reported visit of the German Fleet to Lisbon. He replied that he had none, but that Portugal, despite press reports to the contrary, was not alarmed at the course of events.
- João de Deus Ramos.↩