811.34553B/7–1144: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Portugal (Norweb)
1958. Plans for Santa Maria have been worked out in exact detail step by step and great engineering effort and time have been poured into this project in good faith and upon the belief that Dr. Salazar would by now have approved U.S. construction, use, and control. We are now at the point where construction personnel, essential materials, and critical equipment cannot be diverted by our competent authorities until we are able to say we have the definite agreement of the Portuguese Government. Every day’s delay therefore sets back the whole program, and as you know we now risk having to abandon the entire project for a full year.
Dr. Salazar’s delay in the matter of Navy’s operating squadron for Lagens has already been so great as to minimize the importance of that plan. It is still important but over a long period of months our purpose has been defeated to the extent that the desired additional squadron has not been operating and much material and ground personnel have been and continue to be wasted at a critical time. The Department is quite sure that a continuing delay on that matter and failure to acquiesce in the Santa Maria plan while there is still time to make it effective will bring about unfavorable reaction in Government circles here against the Portuguese Government. These are matters which Dr. Salazar should be made to understand fully without delay. It is too much for him to expect that this Government will continue its present effort to satisfy Portuguese requirements while our own desires are neglected.