741.53/135: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
6402. Your 6993, October 13, 8 p.m. Department instructed Lisbon to deliver the assurances if approached by Salazar, and subsequently, at the request of the British Embassy, upon instructions from the Foreign Office, the Department instructed Lisbon to go ahead without awaiting an approach. Before Lisbon could execute this instruction the British Embassy intimated that the British Prime Minister in his message to the President had requested us to hold off for the [Page 554] reason that it was considered desirable to hold these assurances for possible future use in the acquisition of facilities in the Azores for us. The previous instruction was therefore canceled.
As this reasoning still appears valid, and as no approach has been made to us by the Portuguese to indicate any anxiety or suspicion, the Department is temporarily withholding further instructions to Lisbon.
You will observe that the first sentence of paragraph (2) of the British directive is not accurate.