853M.77/25: Telegram

The Consul at Loanda, Angola (Day) to the Secretary of State

5. From Wells.26

“For Under Secretary Welles and COUSC27 4007. Quick reply requested.

1.
Port[uguese] Minister [of] Colonies, Vieira Machado, invited me to a 2-hour confidential private meeting during which he inquired if United States Government would be interested in using Benguela Railroad for shipment of certain military supplies from Lobito across Angola into Belgian Congo, Central and East Africa.
2.
Minister reminded me shipments from Matadi through the Congo are attended by difficulties and waste of time.
3.
He pointed out that freight cars now are bringing us about 1700 tons minerals weekly from the Congo to Lobito and returning almost empty.
4.
Minister said he thought this available space could be used effectively by us and thus save several weeks transportation time between coast and Elisabethville, Bukama and other points, not to mention reduction in cost. Transshipments could also be extended across Africa by rail to Beira and/or Lourenço Marques thus avoiding several thousand miles of dangerous water travel.
5.
Minister offered this space to us for the transshipment of everything except guns of any kind, ammunition, and tanks which he said could continue going via Matadi. Permissible items specifically mentioned by Minister were:
(1st)
Aviation gasoline and all other petroleum products. Benguela Railway has no tank cars and [apparent omission] [Belgi]an Congo, therefore until tank cars could be supplied petroleum products would have to be shipped in drums as is now being done through the Congo.
(2d)
Automotive vehicles and even airplanes, provided all are without guns and are boxed, not crated or uncrated.
(3d)
Airplane and other engines and spare parts of all kinds.
(4th)
All forms of machinery including roadbuilding, mining and repair.
(5th)
Military service equipment including tents, bedding, kitchens, uniforms and other quartermaster stores.
(6th)
All edibles, drinkables and medicines.
(7th)
Fifteen to twenty and perhaps double that number officers and men in civilian clothing would be guaranteed transit visas through Angola on every combined goods and passenger train.
(8th)
One or two officers in civilian clothing would be permitted to reside in Lobito and supervise transshipments.
6.
Minister said he would guarantee that shipments would not be opened for inspection by Angolan authorities and that existing port dues, landing charges, freight rates in transit [would not be?] increased. The question of safeguarding shipments was not mentioned.
7.
Minister suggested that operations would be simplified if shipments were made by, say, private company (X) in the United States or elsewhere to, say, private company (Y) in the Belgian Congo, but this would not be mandatory. Supervisors at Lobito could be ostensible representatives of one of these private companies.
8.
Minister indicated preference for our acceptance of informal guarantees covering extension of aforementioned privileges, which he said the Angolan Government and Benguela Railway would observe faithfully, but my impression was that we could get satisfactory written assurance if we insisted.
9.
Minister remarked obliquely that no one could justifiably complain of neutrality violations and Portugal could not very well interfere if the remote semi-autonomous Angolan Government permitted shipments over a privately owned railway engaged in internal commerce, [Page 243] provided no weapons, ammunition or tanks were being transported within Angola’s frontiers.
10.
I asked the Minister if there were any conditions precedent to the granting of the aforementioned privileges or what our obligations would be under such an arrangement.
11.
Minister replied that he would exact no promises from us, but that he hoped the United States Government would appreciate the spirit of sympathetic cooperation which motivated the offer and reciprocate to the extent of gratifying immediately Angola’s urgent needs for certain essentials without which the colony’s economy must certainly collapse.
12.
These essentials, for the immediate need of which I can vouch, include: first and foremost 2,065 tires of assorted sizes which would be rationed under Angolan Government and our supervision to idle non-Axis commercial vehicles badly needed for transportation of produce; (second), modest quantities of railway wheels and springs, bar steel and angle iron, galvanized waterpipe and tubing, telephone and telegraph equipment and supplies, electric wire and nails, medical supplies, et cetera; (third) perhaps 2 or 3 secondhand commercial passenger planes of from eight to fourteen-place capacity. I will telegraph details if requested.
13.
In return for such essentials, to be paid for in cash, Minister promised to authorize the export of whatever Angolan commodities we desire, including rubber, at fair prices. He said this arrangement would not conflict with the Anglo-American-Portuguese trade negotiations28 now under way in Lisbon, which he apparently believes are stalemated. Minister also suggested that we would find it advantageous to investigate the trade situation in Mozambique and offered to facilitate our journey.
14.
Minister specifically stated that if we are interested in principle in the foregoing proposals he would be glad if we would indicate the fact before October 31, when he leaves Loanda for a fortnight’s inspection tour. Minister also voiced hope that a definitive understanding could be reached before he sails for Portugal about November 20. When I inquired if questions had to be referred to Portugal [apparent omission] Angolan matter with which he is empowered to deal.
15.
I await instructions and point out that Minister’s informal proposals also appear to afford us an opportunity of gaining an advantageous position in Angola and conceivably may be a Portuguese gesture toward climbing aboard the Allied band-wagon.
16.
In connection with the foregoing, attention is called to the modern bulk petroleum products tank installations at the land-locked deep water port of Lobito, owned and operated by Companhia dos Combustiveis de Lobito, otherwise called Carbonang, local subsidiary of Petrofinac, the Belgian company whose storage tanks at Ango Ango, Belgian Congo, are being used by Vacuum, Texaco, Shell and our Government.
17.
Carbonang has 7 tanks with total capacity of 5950 cubic meters, which are filled by pumps directly from tankers alongside modern quay. Of these, two 1500, one 500 and one 350 cubic meter tanks are now available for storage of gasoline or other petroleum products, [Page 244] while one 1500, one 500, and one 100 cubic meter tanks are reserved, respectively, for fuel oil, Diesel oil and kerosene.
18.
In May 1940, Petrofinac London representative Leopold Walford Shipping, Limited, signed a contract with Gueret, Llewellen and Merret, Limited, London, sub rosa representatives of the British Admiralty, providing for Admiralty use of Carbonang’s Lobito installations on demand. The Admiralty has not yet availed itself of this privilege, but 6 weeks ago supplied Carbonang with 5000 tons of Welch coal under a similar separate agreement. The Admiralty used a private company as contracting intermediary to avoid infringement of Carbonang’s contract with the Angola Government and Carbonang was to receive a per ton fee similar to that in effect at Ango Ango for receiving, storing and delivering.
19.
P. R. Pittard, a British subject and Carbonang’s local director, has Asked me to inquire if the United States Government is interested in utilizing the Lobito facilities. If so, Pittard believes the Admiralty would cancel Carbonang’s contract.
20.
Pittard says there is ample room for expansion of storage facilities at Lobito and that local wharf charges are 3 shillings 8 pence per ton handled plus 3 quarters per mille ad valorem.”

This cable cost $1993.68. Refer Department’s letter August 19 to Consul Mallon, Leopoldville,29 regarding appropriate assistance to Linton Wells and Fay Gillis Wells. Is Loanda Consulate authorized to pay unlimited amounts for Wells’ cables to be charged to United States Commercial Company? If not please instruct.

Day
  1. Linton Wells, representative of the Office of Strategic Services.
  2. United States Commercial Company.
  3. See pp. 221 ff.
  4. Not printed.