Office of the Historian

832.24/281: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Brazil (Burdett)

Washington, December 11, 1940—9 p.m.

436. From the Under Secretary. Embassy’s 642, December 7, 2 p.m. You are requested to call on Aranha and express my appreciation of his helpful and friendly attitude in the Siqueira Campos controversy and for keeping the Department abreast of the developments in Brazil. I note that the Brazilian Government is disposed under certain conditions to give favorable consideration to points 1 and 2 set forth in the British note.

With regard to Aranha’s desire to discuss with the other American republics the question of immobilizing German and Italian ships in Brazilian ports, I feel that such action by Brazil would be entirely within her rights and within the framework of the resolutions adopted at the Panama79 and Habana80 meetings, as well as of the recommendations of the Inter-American Neutrality Committee.81 This country exercises a control over belligerent merchant vessels by means of a ship control office under the United States Coast Guard.

I note that the discontinuance of the Lati Service to Brazil is expressed as a hope and not as a condition in the British note.

I was unable to see the British Ambassador yesterday, as he was indisposed, but I shall seek the first opportunity to talk with him again. [Welles.]

Hull
  1. See Foreign Relations, 1939, vol. v, pp. 15 ff.↩
  2. See ante, pp. 180 ff.↩
  3. See ante, pp. 257 ff.↩