740.00116 EW/9–1945
The Portuguese Ministry for Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy in Portugal 37
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presents its best compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and has the honor to reply to the note of the 23rd of last month relative to German nationals resident in Portugal.
The Portuguese Government has given to the note under reference the most careful attention with the desire of accurately interpreting its scope and attempting to conciliate the motives which animate it and to cooperate with the Government of the United States for the re-establishment of the moral conditions necessary to the peaceful reconstruction of Europe, with certain fundamental principles which have inspired and regulated international relations.
Within these terms, the Portuguese Government is prepared to lend the good offices which are requested for the repatriation of German officials and agents and will certainly indicate an official who will collaborate with the designated entity in order to cause to be delivered to the German citizens under reference the orders or instructions respecting them coming from the present retainers of German sovereignty, or to remove any difficulties of a material or administrative order, concerning the prompt obedience which must be given to the orders received.
The Portuguese Government understands, however, that it may not go to the point of agreeing to give compulsory execution to the instruction emanating from a foreign sovereignty in this matter, except in the case of former commitments, which will be integrally maintained and respected with relation to war criminals and to extradition of other criminals, in agreement with the respective treaties.
The attention of the Portuguese Government has likewise been drawn, in a very special manner, to that part of the American note which emphasizes that the prolonged stay in Portuguese territory of the German individuals included in the list annexed to the same note may be prejudicial, not only to the interests of the United States, Great Britain and France, but also to the security of Portugal, owing to the fear of the formation in Portugal of a nucleus capable of assisting in the re-birth of National Socialist political activity.
Although the collaboration extended in these matters to the Embassy of the United States of America, and to the Allied countries, has always been characterized by the most comprehensive action of the Portuguese Government, as the representatives of the interested [Page 808] countries will certainly not hesitate to recall, the Portuguese Government formally re-affirms its determination not to consent to any political activity whatsoever on the part of German citizens who eventually may continue to reside in Portugal and to take the necessary steps, including the expulsion from the national territory, in respect of those who, it is convinced, will be elements disturbing to the order and tranquility of the country.
In this respect the Portuguese Government has already ordered the necessary steps for the clarification and verification of the activities referred to in the American note, and will be very grateful to the Government of the United States if it will assist, with the elements at its disposal, to achieve the desired objective.
- Transmitted to the Department in despatch 427, September 19, from Lisbon; received September 27.↩