832.24/255a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Brazil (Burdett)
376. From Ambassador Caffery. Please give Aranha the following message and ask him to speak to Generals Dutra and Góes Monteiro.
I am giving most careful attention to the matter of the arms which our Government has promised to sell to Brazil. As was set forth in the telegram which I showed Aranha, we have promised to let Brazil have the arms they need in 3 years and will be able to commence deliveries of certain equipment within about 6 months. Our War Department will be more definite as to the exact timing of the deliveries around the end of the year than it is now; therefore in my opinion General Amaro Bittencourt’s presence here might be more effective, say, early in January than later this month. In other words, if he came now he might find it necessary to remain longer than he planned and might feel he was wasting some time. [Caffery.]