Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The British Commonwealth; Europe, Volume III

853B.7962/6–2047: Telegram

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

secret

Lisbon, June 20, 1947—7 p. m.

451. For Reber.¹ Saw British Ambassador today and acquainted him with substance of your No. 428, June 18. He replied that his instructions already received from Foreign Office differed only in that he was to broach to Portuguese Government the question of British participation in mixed commission as soon as I started conversations. I pointed out that question of best timing to raise this question was impossible to foresee at this moment, that it might be better for me to keep him currently informed of progress of conversations and then we could together work out the best moment for this step. He acquiesced entirely. He gave evidence of earnest and sincere desire to be as helpful as possible going so far as to suggest that wherever I might encounter obstacles (for example, Mathias²) he would then go into action as indicated by me.

I expect to make preliminary calls on Foreign Minister³ and Political Director soonest and will promptly thereafter initiate conversations.

Wiley

1. Samuel Reber, Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs.
2. Marcello Mathias, Portuguese Minister-designate to France; formerly Director General of Political Affairs in Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. Dr. José Caeiro da Mata.