740.0011 European War 1939/18525: Telegram
The Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:50 p.m.]
139. Aranha75 says that the Italian Ambassador76 told him yesterday that if Brazil broke off diplomatic relations with the Axis Powers, Japan would declare war against Brazil and implied that difficulties might ensue with the Japanese colonies here. Aranha in reply in effect said: “So what?”
The Italian Ambassador insisted again that the Lati77 planes be allowed to return to Italy, alleging that an agreement exists among the warring powers that commercial planes may not be shot down. Aranha says he made him an evasive answer to this.