810.20 Defense/1333: Telegram
The Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:41 p.m.]
1124. Aranha brought up today the question of the Joint Staff conferences and again assured me of Vargas’ cooperation; adding that he had a long talk yesterday with General Góes and is convinced that the army too is cooperating. He said, however, that Góes remarked again that the United States seems anxious to get troops into northeastern Brazil but does not seem anxious to help Brazil to defend that region. …
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[Page 511]Although I appreciate only too well the difficulties, I must repeat that although the Brazilians will invite us to send troops to northeastern Brazil when the German menace really seems imminent to them; in the meantime they will not do so unless we furnish them with adequate supplies of material for the defense of that region. I repeat also that is why it would be idle for me to take up the Department’s telegram 551, of July 17, 11 p.m.,32 at this time in the face of my telegram 1110, of August 19, 4 p.m.32
General Miller left early this morning to join the other Joint Staff conference members now in the northeast. I shall, of course, show him this telegram as soon as he returns here next week.