832.24/295: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson)
3817. From the Under Secretary. I am transmitting to you herewith textually three telegrams received by the Department this morning from the American Embassy in Rio de Janeiro.
[Here follow texts of telegrams No. 665, December 14, 3 p.m., No. 666, December 14, 3 p.m., and No. 667, December 14, 4 p.m., from The Chargé in Brazil, printed on pages 653–654.]
The Secretary and I both feel that it is urgently necessary for you to convey personally to Lord Halifax the contents of these three messages and to indicate to him the concern with which this Government views the continuation of this controversy between Great Britain and Brazil. This Government has greatly appreciated the friendly spirit in which Lord Halifax has considered the views expressed by the United States in connection with the Siqueira Campos incident as a result of which the British Government agreed to release the vessel upon certain conditions. The manner in which these conditions were presented to the Brazilian Government, however, have created resentment on the part of the Brazilian authorities. In addition thereto, because of the circumstances set forth in the telegrams sent by the American Chargé d’Affaires above quoted, it would be very difficult for the Brazilian Government to take independently the action suggested in connection with German and Italian ships now in Brazilian ports unless and until hemispheric action in that sense could be taken. This, obviously, could not be achieved within any brief period.
For all of these reasons, this Government earnestly trusts that the British Government will make every effort to reach a prompt agreement [Page 656] with the Brazilian Government which will make possible the speedy release of the Siqueira Campos. If the present situation is permitted to continue, it is feared that relations between Brazil and Great Britain may become seriously embittered and this would clearly be highly detrimental to the cause of inter-American solidarity and, as this Government sees it, to the best interests of Great Britain herself. [Welles.]