832.24/273: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Brazil (Burdett)

421. From the Under Secretary. Your 627, December 3, 6 p.m. Aranha called me on the telephone this morning to explain to me the situation which had arisen and said that he was sending me by air mail the full details of the Siqueira Campos case. I expressed to him my great appreciation of the way in which he was attempting to prevent any unnecessary flare-up on the part of popular opinion against the British as a result of this incident and I told him that I had had a long conference with the British Ambassador yesterday again urging that the British authorities release the vessel. The American Chargé d’Affaires in London has been instructed to make a similar communication to Lord Halifax. This Government is, of course, particularly anxious that relations between Great Britain and Brazil should not deteriorate and that a friendly and equitable settlement may promptly be found.

Aranha indicated to me that he felt that the Brazilian immigration authorities were at fault in the Itapé case and I gathered from his statements in this regard that no formal protest will be made by the Brazilian Government to the British Government on account of the halting of that vessel. [Welles.]

Hull