811.34553B/8–546
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of War (Patterson)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: An agreement of May 30, 1946, between the United States Government and the Government of Portugal, stipulates in Paragraph (e) that:
“During a transitional period of 120 days the American and British authorities will withdraw from the airfields in question all the material and personnel at present there which the Portuguese authorities do not consider to be indispensable for the maintenance and operation of the airfields and do not wish to acquire or engage.”
While we are continuing negotiations with the Portuguese Government for long term military rights in the Azores, it is apparent, from the advice of our negotiators in Lisbon, that the United States Government must be prepared to fulfill its obligations under the Agreement of May 30, 1946, if no new agreement has been reached which alters those obligations. It is also clear that the Portuguese Government is expecting literal compliance with the terms of the May 30 Agreement.
[Page 1012]It appears, therefore, that arrangements should be initiated by the War and Navy Departments in sufficient time to ensure that the commitments of the United States Government under this Agreement, which fall to those Departments, are carried out by October 2,66 if the commitments of the United States Government have not before then been changed by a new agreement. The Department of State will, of course, assist in resolving any difficulties which may arise with the Portuguese Government in the course of the fulfillment of these obligations.
Sincerely yours,
- Date for end of the 120-day transitional period.↩