740.32112A/5–1545
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Brazil (Berle)
The Acting Secretary of State refers to the Department’s circular airgram of April 28, 1945 concerning the considerations which will govern the maintenance of the Proclaimed List following the cessation of hostilities in Europe. This circular airgram stated that instructions [Page 664] would be forthcoming on the individual problems of each of the other American Republics.
There is enclosed a memorandum dated April 27, 1945,5 entitled “Policy with Respect to Proclaimed and Confidential List in Post-Hostilities Period: Western Hemisphere.”6 This memorandum together with its enclosures sets forth the future listing policy for the Western Hemisphere in greater detail than was possible in the circular airgram.
There is also enclosed a memorandum entitled “Country Memorandum for Brazil”7 which has been approved by the Interdepartmental Proclaimed List Committee. This country memorandum outlines the progress that has been made, analyzes the present Proclaimed List and replacement situation, and contains recommendations approved by the Committee concerning the withdrawal of the Proclaimed List for Brazil.
Unless the Officer in Charge perceives objections, he is requested to consult with his British colleague, who will receive similar instructions, and to approach the Brazilian Government in accordance with the recommendations contained in the enclosed country memorandum. Any objections to or comments concerning these recommendations or the memorandum of April 27 should be cabled immediately.
It is important, of course, that advance notice of the plan for the early reduction or withdrawal of the Proclaimed List in cooperative countries not be given any wider circulation than is absolutely necessary. If practicable, your discussion with the Brazilian Government should be limited to the plans for the reduction of the Proclaimed List for Brazil. It may, however, be desirable to indicate that this Government is considering the complete or virtual withdrawal of the Proclaimed List in certain of the other American Republics, in order to explain why this Government feels that the Proclaimed List for Brazil should be virtually withdrawn. In no event should the plans to eliminate intermediate offenders from the Proclaimed List approximately four months after V–E Day and to withdraw the Proclaimed List completely approximately one year after V–E Day, be divulged.
The Embassy in its discussions with the Brazilian authorities should stress the importance of eliminating remaining Spearheads and the fact that the Spearheads remaining on the list will be considered ad hoc for deletion when they are effectively eliminated.
As indicated in paragraph III–f of the enclosed memorandum of April 27, 1945, appropriate publicity will be given to the reduction of [Page 665] the Proclaimed List to a hard-core. This publicity will probably take the form of a press release and appropriate foot-notes in the supplement in which the reduction occurs.8
It is contemplated that the forthcoming supplement, which under the normal schedule would appear on June 1, will be postponed until June 8, and that the British Statutory List supplement, which would ordinarily appear approximately June 15, will also appear on June 8 so that the reductions can be made simultaneously in both the Proclaimed and Statutory Lists.
The circular telegram of September 20, 19449 stated that the Proclaimed List would not be withdrawn with respect to any country which had instituted local lists or other controls based on the Proclaimed List without full prior consultation in order that the time and manner of the withdrawal of the Proclaimed List for such a country might be fully integrated with the requirements of the local controls. If any of the local controls for the Brazilian Government are based on the Proclaimed List, the Officer in Charge should consult with the Brazilian authorities so that the requirements of local controls may receive full consideration.
With respect to the British post-hostilities list which is to be incorporated into the “hard-core” list which shall be retained until the complete withdrawal of the Proclaimed List for Brazil (enclosure no. 2, paragraph V–2), the Embassy is requested to consult with the British Embassy concerning any names which the Embassy believes should be removed from or included in the British post-hostilities list.…
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In view of the urgency of this matter, the Officer in Charge is requested to report by telegram what action has been taken and the results thereof, including the names which should comprise the “hardcore” list. The latter should, as far as possible, be done by reference to a categorization of the list already in the Department in order to restrict to a minimum the cabling of names.