811.34553B/98: Telegram
The Minister in Portugal (Norweb) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:19 p.m.]
646. For Under Secretary and Matthews. I feel that in connection with Department’s 620, February 29, I should point out that Salazar did not “propose” that Portuguese delegation join an American party to conduct desired survey but that he merely agreed to inquire whether it would be possible for delegation to complete its work and then join the party. My 614, February 26.
[Page 16]I only labor this fine distinction in order that the measure of the Department’s encouragement at the “progress” made may be appropriately tempered. We must face the fact that while the ground work may [be] said to have been laid a great deal of hard work lies still ahead.
Department may however rest assured that I shall continue to press for issuance of invitation to Panair and also for direct negotiations between our two Governments. This I propose to do by constantly pressing Sampaio43 and also through medium of written communications during this period when Salazar is making himself more than usually inaccessible, largely because of situation brought about by our wolfram negotiations here and in Spain.
- Teixeira de Sampaio, Portuguese Secretary General for Foreign Affairs.↩