Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The British Commonwealth, Western and Central Europe, Volume V

811.34553B/5–2946: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Portugal ( Baruch )

top secret
us urgent

Washington , May 29, 1946—4 p.m.

543. For Culbertson from Hickerson. Brit. Emb. has just read to me a summary of a telegram to O’Malley authorizing approval of Portuguese proposal subject to the following informal understandings:

1. British assume that Lagens would be made available for civil use in emergency and Santa Maria for military use in weather and other emergencies;

2. British expect British personnel to be employed by Portuguese at both airfields and not at Lagens alone;

3. While British not under obligation to hand over Lagens on June 2, they are prepared to do so provided Portuguese agree on ad hoc occasions to grant permission for special EAF flights not directly connected with occupation forces;

4. After the 90 day period, UK is prepared to assist Portugal as follows:

(a) Provision of limited number of technical personnel, military at Lagens and civil at Santa Maria to be employed by Portuguese Govt.

(b) Provision of soldiers in training Portuguese personnel in England.

(c) Assistance in buying equipment in England.

We wanted you to have this information at once. Naturally we expect to receive treatment no less favorable than that accorded the UK. [Hickerson.]

Byrnes