832.76/6–446
The Chargé in Brazil ( Daniels ) to the Secretary of State
No. 5216
[Received June 13.]
Sir: …
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
It is accordingly recommended that in sending the Embassy the information requested in its despatch No. 5168 of May 27, 1946,40 the Department, after consultation with the Chief of Naval Operations, instruct the Embassy whether it wishes the matter discussed with the appropriate Brazilian authorities with a view to reaching an agreement, presumably secret, providing for the continued operation of the Recife naval radio station for a given or indefinite period of time. In the meantime the matter will not be discussed with the Brazilian authorities if it can be gracefully avoided, but in view of the general problems which have arisen in regard to our military, air and naval bases generally, and to avoid confusing issues, an urgent reply is respectfully requested.
It has come to my attention that the Foreign Liquidation Commission has taken an interest in this station, along with the other two naval radio direction finder stations at Bahia and Belem which were the subject of the Embassy’s airgram A–512 of May 22, 1946.38 It is strongly recommended that the Foreign Liquidation Commission be instructed to refrain from taking any further interest in the radio station which is the subject of this despatch because of its entirely different category and the delicate nature of the issues involved. It is not contemplated, so far as the Embassy is informed, to declare surplus any of the property or material at the Recife station; and it would, in my judgment, be most unwise to link up that station in [Page 447] any sort of negotiations involving the Bahia and Belém stations which could be abandoned (i.e., turned over to Brazil) once the movable material at them has been turned over to the Foreign Liquidation Commission for disposal.
Respectfully yours,