740.00116 European War/10–1144: Telegram
The Ambassador in Portugal (Norweb) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 11—4:07 p.m.]
3110. Sampaio told me today that in response to an urgent request from Campbell for a statement concerning war criminals which the British Government could use in replying to a Parliamentary question which would be put today, Dr. Salazar addressed to Campbell along the following lines: The Portuguese Government has already made clear its attitude from the juridical and political point of view concerning the question of giving asylum to war criminals. However, in [Page 1440] order to avoid the possibility of any misunderstanding it wishes to state that it follows from the above that the Portuguese Government will not permit the use of the right of asylum to protect any persons from the proper demands of justice as established by competent national or international authorities.
The foregoing is not a direct quotation but is an approximation of what Sampaio told me.