865.00/2172

Memorandum by the Secretary of State

Memorandum of Conversation

Subject: Italian Situation

Participants: Secretary of State Hull and the Minister of Portugal, Dr. João Antonio de Bianchi

The Minister of Portugal called and made an oral statement to me touching upon certain phases of the Italian situation, as seen through the eyes of Prime Minister Salazar. I[He?] requested that it be not made of record. I accordingly took his memorandum for examination over night, with the understanding that I would return it in the morning.1

I said that I would be only too glad to communicate this information to the President. The Minister emphasized that it had been given to the British not long ago,2 but so far they had heard nothing from them.

C[ordell] H[ull]
  1. Since no Portuguese memorandum on this subject has been found in Department of State files, it is presumed that Hull did in fact return it to Bianchi.
  2. From Jones’ comments, infra, on Bianchi’s memorandum, it appears that it was similar in substance to the approach which Salazar had made to the British Ambassador in Portugal (Campbell) on July 22, 1943. See ante, p. 534.