862.20210/1344: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery)
1098. Your 1413, April 25, 6 p.m., and Department’s 1069, April 24, 8 p.m.17 Your despatch 7021 of April 1116 states that the police are badly handicapped in view of the fact that you have not been allowed to furnish them evidence of the nature described in the following line of your despatch. Department’s 759, March 25, noon, by agreeing with the views set forth in your 1000, March 23, 4 p.m., authorized you to give the police such evidence of the nature above referred to as you considered necessary. As your 1224, April 10, 10 p.m. indicated that you had not understood that such authorization had been given you, Department’s 937, April 11, noon, made it clear (in reply to the question in the first sentence of the last paragraph of your 1224) that it did not desire you to continue to withhold the evidence in question from the police. This telegram crossed your despatch of April 11, but on receipt of the latter to make assurance doubly sure Department sent you its 1069 containing its assumption that you had supplied the evidence in question. Your 1413, however, is not directly responsive to the Department’s assumption and leaves us in uncertainty as to whether the police activities are still being handicapped because you feel that you should not furnish them with the evidence in question. To dispel any possible uncertainty, the Department hereby explicitly states that you are authorized to give [Page 197] the Brazilian police such messages when and as you deem necessary for their activities against the espionage radio rings and Department desires to be informed if and when you have furnished the police with such evidence.