852.48/1458: Telegram
The Minister in Portugal (Fish) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:30 p.m.]
Following telegram has been sent to Algiers:
34. March 27, 9 p.m. For Murphy. Re Madrid’s 49, March 26th to you. According to British Ambassador here British Admiralty still maintains that it is safer to bring the ships to Lisbon than to Vila Real. From a conversation which the Ambassador had at the Foreign Office this morning it developed that Salazar is most reluctant to have the refugees come through Lisbon and that insistence on Lisbon as the embarkation point may jeopardize the entire action.
I fear that it will be difficult to convince the Portuguese that it is safer to bring these vessels around Cape Sagres and up to Lisbon at an estimated added distance of at least 500 miles than to bring them to Vila Real, whereby they would remain within the close radius of Gibraltar.
The facts are transmitted in the event that you may wish to discuss this matter with the competent British authorities.
Repeated to Madrid and Department.