811.2353/11: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Portugal ( Fish )
734. Your 861, April 19, 2 p.m. Further conversations with the Joint Chiefs of Staff reveal that they are in accord with the interpretation given to your telegram no. 116 of January 21 in regard to the sale to the Portuguese Government of forced landed aircraft of a non-confidential character.
It is also clear that the American and British Governments are pursuing an identical policy in this regard.
However, in order further to coordinate the policy of the two Governments, the Joint Chiefs of Staff desire that a proposal be made to the Portuguese Government, similar to one already made by the British which was that British forced landed aircraft of miscellaneous types, unlikely to be of much use to the Portuguese but valuable to [Page 585] the British Government, should be exchanged for other aircraft of a type more useful to the Portuguese such as, for example, Spitfires.
Please convey a similar proposal to the Portuguese authorities.