853M.6363/27: Airgram
The Consul General at Loanda, Angola ( Linnell ) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 11, 1943—5 p.m.]
A–13. The [restriction on?] sale of gasoline and other petroleum products to Germans and Italians in Angola and to those who are found to be reselling to Germans and Italians, is being enforced by the oil companies quite strictly. Many protests are being made to the local [Page 586] government and the Governor General82 has now asked my British colleague83 and me to say to our Government that he hopes some way will be found to permit the sale of gasoline in limited quantities to Germans and Italians in this colony.
He said that his Government strictly limits the sale of gasoline to all persons in the colony in accordance with their necessities and he emphasized that any orders by any foreign governments or agents as to who may receive gasoline is an infringement of Portugal’s sovereignty.
He said that it is contrary to humanitarian principles to forbid Germans and Italians to receive any gasoline since those living a long way from medical aid may urgently need to send for a doctor or take a sick person to a hospital or make an absolutely necessary trip to a town.
He said that Portugal is neutral and must treat Germans and Italians living in the colony like other residents while they behave properly and he reiterated again and again that any dictation from outside the country not only infringed its sovereignty but made his position and that of the government most difficult.
In reply I assured the Governor General that we appreciated the difficulties of his position and said that I would communicate his views to my Government.
I added that there was naturally a strong feeling in the United States that enemies should not receive gasoline, etc., from our country especially when their countries and fellow citizens were doing everything they could to sink the ships carrying these supplies and such supplies were therefore received in this colony only at the risk of the lives of our sailors.
Moreover, the Germans and Italians in this colony are undoubtedly doing everything in their power to defeat us and furnishing gasoline to these persons might well help them in their efforts against us.