853B.7962/8–1447: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Portugal
us urgent
niact
588. We have had very helpful discussion with Wayne C. Taylor1 today. War Dept and we agree that formula which you have devised is acceptable. Redraft of formula incorporating few suggested changes is being telegraphed separately. We feel we should avoid, in first paragraph, impression that we are seeking only extension of old agreement. We believe for tactical reasons, that it might be wise to include in second paragraph statement that Lagens Airfield will remain under full control of Portuguese authorities but leave this to your judgment. We agree fully that it is wise to include a statement that similar privileges are being extended to British.
We will take no action here to obtain British support for your approach to Dr. Salazar next week (urtel 631 Aug 142) unless you specifically request it since we believe British Ambassador has adequate instructions and that you will in any case wish to arrange with him timing of his approach.
War Dept and we entirely agree with statements you made to Gen Cintra (urtel 630 Aug 143). In connection with question of Portuguese ability to take over technical services at Lagens we would be interested in significance you attribute to change in War Minister’s view on this subject since Tibbets and Warren spoke with him on July 11 (Embtel 531 July 122).
Summary of timing situation is now as follows:
If by Sept 2 we do not have strong indication of favorable outcome of negotiations, War Dept will begin issuing instructions to staff agencies to initiate evacuation Lagens. By Oct 2 transit flights through Lagens will be discontinued. Thereafter flights will overfly Azores and/or use Iceland route.
[Page 1035]Since we are anxious to have, by Sept 2, some indication of eventual outcome of negotiations we are somewhat concerned about stressing Oct 2 deadline to Portuguese. In April and May of 1946 the Portuguese purposely delayed negotiations in order to take advantage of approaching firm deadline June 2. If they now believe that Oct 2 is a similar firm deadline it is possible they would delay negotiations beyond Sept 2 and War Dept would thus be forced to begin evacuation.
We have just spoken to Pereira and have again repeated our dissatisfaction with Portuguese proposal. We stressed our desire to get on with negotiations and told him of your plan to see Dr. Salazar. He has received a letter from Faria with copy of July 25 Memo. He assures us that this Memo represents merely Faria’s notes for his conversation with you and is not official document. He says Faria told him first paragraph of Memo shows they have accepted idea of our continued use of Lagens and that balance of Memo according to Pereira represents primarily War Minister’s thoughts. We again reviewed with him necessity for presence of ATC personnel at Lagens to operate many technical services. Some of these services ATC must operate themselves at all times but others we are quite willing Portuguese personnel should take over as they become competent to do so. We however pointed out that these technical questions could be arranged in Lisbon after basic agreement reached.