811.34553B/10–1044: Telegram
The Ambassador in Portugal (Norweb) to the Secretary of State
[Received 12:21 p.m.]
3092. Yesterday afternoon I called on Sampayo to ask for the appointment with Salazar required by Department’s telegram 2678, October 6, 4 p.m. Before making this request however I inquired of Sampayo whether he had received Salazar’s reaction to the suggestion set forth in Embassy’s 3068, October 4, 8 p.m. Sampayo replied that he had not and alleged some misunderstanding as he had thought [Page 80] we were now awaiting Washington’s response in connection with the draft proposals submitted by the Portuguese. I said that this had not been my understanding at the close of our last interview but that in any event as he had doubtless heard from the Portuguese Chargé d’Affaires in Washington matters had in the past few days progressed far beyond any such intermediary stage as that discussed personally between us last week. Sampayo was somewhat vague on what he had heard from Dr. Garin and it became clear to me as the interview progressed that the latter had not yet reported fully his talk with George and Culbertson as described in Department’s telegram 2690, October 7, 7 p.m.
I then informed Sampayo of the substance of statement set forth in Deptel 2678. This obviously came as a considerable shock and he remarked in effect that it was far too “hot” for him to handle. He hoped however in view of the tenseness with which the lines had been drawn, that before we reached “the end of the road” I would afford Salazar an opportunity to have his say at our next interview. I said that this was a main purpose of my wish to see Salazar now and on this repetition of my request to see Salazar without delay Sampayo said that he would arrange the interview at the earliest possible moment.
At the point described Sampayo evinced some agitation but soon recovered his equilibrium and again endeavored to take refuge behind the fiction that there must be some misunderstanding. What exactly did we want? I said the ground had been covered repeatedly and that the statement I had given him was clear enough. The time element had caught up with our discussions and my Government could wait no longer. Here I showed Sampayo a rough [draft] which had been prepared of a proposed agreement in principle between the Portuguese and the United States Governments for the construction, use and control of the Santa Maria air base. After reading this Sampayo said that he would like very much to keep it for further study to see whether it provided any “juridical” basis upon which agreement in principle might be sought. Emphasizing its draft character, I left a copy with him.
Earlier in the day I conveyed to my British colleague, whom I had already told of our problem, the information suggested in Deptel 2691, October 7.29 He told me that he had received a telegram on the subject.
- This telegram read: “The Department has informally communicated to the British Embassy the fact that we have been confronted with proposals which force us to consider the possibility of having to discontinue staff conversations and to reconsider our economic policy toward Portugal. If you have not already done so you should make a similar communication to your British colleague.” (811.34553B/10–744)↩