832.796/251
Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by Mr. Walter N. Walmsley, Jr., of the Division of the American Republics
| Participants: | Mr. William C. Burdett, American Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, Rio de Janeiro |
| Mr. Walmsley. |
In view of Mr. Trippe’s statements at a meeting in the Department this morning concerning an alleged report from Frank Powers, PAA representative in Brazil, that the Brazilian Government had queried Panair do Brazil concerning taking over at once of Condor’s weekly through service between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires via Porto Alegre and taking over all of Condor’s international services in Brazil and Argentina in three or four months, I telephoned Mr. Burdett the following message at 2 p.m.
“Trippe says that Powers reports that the Brazilian Government desires Panair do Brasil to take over almost immediately one of Condor’s weekly through services, Rio–Porto Alegre–Buenos Aires, and to take over all such services of Condor in the near future—perhaps in three or four months. PAA or Panair has to reply by November 1, in view of the native pilots’ provisions scheduled enforcement on November 1. This does not seem to correspond with Rio de Janeiro’s telegram, no. 512 of October 6, which said that such enforcement would begin on the date of the telegram. I asked Mr. Burdett whether the Embassy knew anything of this purported approach by the Brazilian Government to Powers, of the reason for the date deadline of November 1, and of the relevance of the native pilots’ provision in the matter of the international Rio–Buenos Aires run.
Mr. Burdett stated: 1) that the Embassy knew nothing of any approach along the above lines by the Brazilian Government to Panair. (He had recently seen Powers on numerous occasions including last night and had been given no intimation of the existence of such a proposition). He knew also of no reason for the date deadline, and he also could see no connection between the native pilots’ provision of Brazilian legislation and the international service of either Condor or Pan American Airways between Brazil and Argentina.
Mr. Burdett said he would make discreet inquiries at once and would endeavor to report in a day or two. He mentioned that a slight delay might be incurred in view of the absence of numerous officials from Rio.”
(Although I heard Mr. Burdett fairly clearly throughout, the connection and circuit had to be checked two or three times before Mr. Burdett was able to hear my message).