811.248/357: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery)
428. From my personal telegram no. 427, of February 21, 8 p.m. I think you will agree that the requests of the Brazilian Government with regard to urgently-needed military and naval matériel have been met. As soon as President Vargas is apprized of the results of the conversations of Dr. Souza Costa I would appreciate your taking [Page 649] up with him at once the matters which follow hereafter. The President attaches the greatest importance to the conclusion immediately of these arrangements with the Brazilian Government since they will make possible the rapid ferrying of large numbers of planes to north Africa and the Far East where they are critically and urgently needed. The rapid passage of these planes and their immediate arrival at fighting fronts will have an important bearing on the course of the military operations now taking place.
The desires of the War Department are as follows:
(1) The War Department states that it is impossible for proper servicing to be given to the planes crossing the Atlantic from Brazil to Africa under the existing arrangement whereby the service personnel of Pan American Airways services the aircraft. In the first place, Pan American personnel is not sufficient to take care of the large number of planes now flying in groups and which frequently require overnight servicing. In the second place. Pan American personnel is not familiar with the servicing of military planes. The War Department is desirous therefore of sending service personnel as follows: 300 to Belém, 300 to Natal, and 150 to Recife. This personnel would cover the following functions: administrative, communications, maintenance, supply, messing, weather, and other technical details. The men would be in uniform but completely unarmed. They would have no security function of any kind.
(2) The War Department would like permission to construct quarters; barracks; administrative, technical and other similar accommodations at each of the above-listed localities to accommodate the Air Corps Ferrying Command squadrons concerned, plus an average of 100 transient United States Government personnel. This construction at the present time can be accomplished expeditiously by contract through Pan American Airways, Inc. Such construction should be located immediately adjacent to the land airdromes at Belém, Natal, and Recife.
(3) Under existing arrangements the prior approval of the Brazilian Government must be obtained for all flights of United States military aircraft except the 3-times-a-week ferry service. Although the Brazilian Government has been most cooperative and attentive in granting permissions, it would enormously facilitate matters if a blanket permission could be granted. Weather conditions frequently make it impossible for planes to fly at the stipulated times. Moreover, the more people who know of these flights the greater the opportunity of the Axis learning of their number, type, et cetera.
The War Department, therefore, would like to secure the privilege of the free and unrestricted use of a corridor along the north coast of Brazil and as far south as Recife for the movement of military aircraft. This corridor has been defined as follows: a strip along the coast of the northeastern portion of Brazil from the border of French Guiana at Cabo d’Orange to Belém, thence continuing southeastward along the coast to Natal and thence southwestward along the coast to Recife, the strip to be approximately 100 miles in depth from the ocean in order to provide for easier navigation and to avoid flight interferences due to weather. If granted, the War Department would [Page 650] move its planes along this corridor without requesting the usual notification through diplomatic channels but information regarding plane movements would be furnished directly to Brazilian commanders at Belém and Natal by Air Corps Ferrying Command officials at those places. It is contemplated that aircraft would move at the rate of approximately 50 per day eastbound and a lesser number westbound.
(4) Permission is desired to construct underground bulk storage with pipeline connections to dispersed lesser storage for approximately 1 million gallons of gasoline at Belém and Natal, and approximately 500,000 gallons of gasoline at Amapa, Fortaleza and Recife to support the movement of combat echelons and United States’ military air transportation as distinguished from local operations.
(5) Permission is requested to lengthen the runway to approximately 6,000 feet on Fernando de Noronha Island; to station a detachment of approximately 50 officers and men from the Recife Air Corps Ferrying Command squadron thereat for the final inspection of certain types of aircraft to be flown across the South Atlantic; and to stock this airdrome with approximately 500,000 gallons of gasoline supplies, spare parts, communications and weather facilities, including the necessary housing thereat.
The War Department, of course, is confident that the Brazilian Government will provide local Brazilian security forces to safeguard the United States movements along this corridor as well as the stockages of fuel and facilities incident thereto along the corridor and on Fernando de Noronha Island.
The War Department suggests that it should be helpful in securing favorable action on the points mentioned above by making the two following offers:
The Air Corps Ferrying Command will arrange to provide invaluable flight training for selected members of the Brazilian air force, acting in the capacity of copilot on 10 United States’ military transport type airplanes operating from Miami to Natal and return.
The Air Corps Ferrying Command will provide invaluable training to selected technicians of the Brazilian air force at Belém and Natal by instructing such technicians in the maintenance of the latest types of combat aircraft being flown over the route.
Following the receipt of a favorable reply to these various propositions General Olds, Commanding General of the Air Corps Ferrying Command, will be glad to proceed at once to Brazil to confer in detail with Minister Salgado and General Gomes in order to insure that the entire plan of operation is put into effect to the full satisfaction of the Government of Brazil.
Needless to say, I recognize the extent of cooperation which President Vargas and his Government is being called upon to lend, but am confident that he will unhesitatingly accord the privileges requested on account of his understanding that we must cooperate, one with another, to the fullest extent possible in order to attain the defeat of the totalitarian nations. It has not been easy to convince our [Page 651] Army that tanks should be taken from our own troops which are still very insufficiently supplied to send to Brazil. Nor has it been easy to persuade the Army that the four antiaircraft guns should be removed from a vital defense plant leaving that plant without any antiaircraft protection to be sent to Brazil. The President, however, has decided that this matériel be given to Brazil because of considerations broader than the purely military which demand today the closest working relationship between the two Governments. I feel certain that President Vargas will consider the requests embodied in this telegram in that same spirit. They are far-reaching and they require a greater measure of cooperation from Brazil than ever before requested in this field but this cooperation is vital to the winning of the war in which Brazil and the United States are equally interested.