853B.20/57: Telegram
The Minister in Portugal (Fish) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 5—3:15 p.m.]
434. Legation’s 398, April 29, 7 p.m.24 Last night the Director General of Political Affairs referred to the canceling of certain orders to which we had strongly objected regarding our Consuls in the Azores. He said, however, that the military insisting that the order that all foreigners in São Miguel must move into Ponta Delgada could not be canceled. He assured the Legation, however, that the insular authorities have been cautioned to cause as little hardship as possible and that the order would be carried out “with moderation”.
The Legation pointed out that most of the Americans in the island were poor people of Portuguese origin who could not afford to move from their farms into town. In reply, the Foreign Office official repeated the argument previously reported that it was in our interest that these precautionary measures were taken since they applied equally to our enemies and that the military authorities had flatly refused to cancel these restrictions.
Repeated to Ponta Delgada and Horta.
- Not printed.↩