Office of the Historian

The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to President Roosevelt 88

London, [October 15, 1943.]

458. Former Naval Person to President Roosevelt. Your number 387. By all means make your own request to the Portuguese Government. We will back you to the full, quoting particularly the “Friends to Friends” phrase in the Treaty of 1373.89 Our two ambassadors should play the hand together, your man now taking the lead.

The only question open is whether you should give them a few more days to watch the German reaction. We leave this to you.90

  1. Copy of telegram obtained from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N.Y.↩
  2. Treaty of peace, friendship, and alliance between England and Portugal, signed at London, June 16, 1373; for text see British and Foreign State Papers vol. i, p. 462. Article I of the treaty reads: “In the first place, we settle and covenant that there shall be from this day forward … true, faithful, constant, mutual and perpetual Friendships, Unions, Alliances, and Leagues of sincere affection and that as true and faithful Friends they shall henceforth reciprocally be Friends to Friends, and Enemies to Enemies, and shall assist, maintain, and uphold each other mutually by sea and by land against all Men that may live or die …”↩
  3. A marginal note in longhand states: “A paraphrase to Secy. Stettinius with instructions to carry out with our Chargé” d’Affaires on Monday 18 Oct. if at that time Germany has not taken action against Portugal.”↩