711.00 Statement July 16, 1937/234
Memorandum by the Minister in Portugal (Pell)15
On Tuesday, August 10th, at 4 P.M., I was received by Mr. Sampayo, Secretary-General of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and discussed various questions with him.
On the subject of Mr. Hull’s statement of July 16th, he said that they agreed “en principe”, but that it was quite possible that the means which might appeal to the Portuguese Government to reach the desired ends would be different from those which appealed to the American Government. He referred to a clause in the Portuguese Constitution stating a distinct preference for arbitration as a means of settling international difficulties, but he said that of course details and clauses in treaties might be difficult to arrange. He said that they might wish to go further than we, or we further than they.
On the removal of trade barriers, he said again that they agreed in principle and that as a matter of fact their duties were low and they had no objections to the free exportation of “divisas” (money).
He said that he had given Mr. Hull’s speech to Dr. Salazar, who would give a written answer, or at least send some sort of a note.
Lisbon, August 10, 1937.
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Minister in his despatch No. 15, August 11; received August 24.↩