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

853B.7962/8–1447: Telegram

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

secret
most immediate

Lisbon, August 14, 1947—6 p. m.

630. Embtel 588 July 28.¹ Following suggestion Carvalhaes,² I lunched with General Cintra today. I showed him “oral statement” and also gave him detailed personnel information obtained from Warren. Cintra apparently is member of school of thought which believes Portuguese able operate Lagens for ATC albeit with certain specialized American technical assistance. When expressing foregoing he added that without such assistance “formula” would have to be reworked thus implying Government might then be disposed reconsider matter.

I frankly told Cintra formula utterly unacceptable and ATC would prefer withdraw rather than operate under basis proposed. I also told him Lagens facilities great convenience to US but not indispensable, but that I considered Lagens question most important as point of departure for US-Portuguese relations in general and that without such point of departure I could only be very pessimistic.

Cintra asked if I had discussed matter with Salazar. I said not as yet but hoped, in view of time element to do so soonest. Concluding I stressed fact that present instructions call for last American flights through Lagens October 2. I told Cintra quite a story about our getting out of Galápagos³ and subsequent chagrin of Ecuador.

Wiley

1. Not printed.
2. Col. Esmeraldo Carvalhaes, Protocol Officer in Portuguese Ministry of War.
3. For documentation regarding return by the United States of military bases in the Galápagos Islands to Ecuador in 1946, see Foreign Relations, 1946, vol. xi, pp. 836 ff.