741.53/157

Memorandum by the Secretary of State to President Roosevelt 62

There is submitted herewith a draft of a telegram which it is proposed to send to London in connection with the secret negotiations now in progress between the British Government and the Prime Minister [Page 541] of Portugal. The conditions set forth in London’s telegram no. 4285 of June 29, 1943 are as follows:

(1)
That at the close of hostilities British troops would be with-drawn from Bracken, and
(2)
That Portuguese sovereignty will be maintained over all Portuguese colonies.

In lieu of the assurances concerning “the maintenance of Portuguese sovereignty over all Portuguese colonies”, it will be observed that in the attached draft telegram63 a phraseology has been submitted to indicate the undertaking of this Government to respect Portuguese sovereignty over all Portuguese colonies.

There is attached a copy of a communication64 addressed to the Department by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on August 9, 1943, upon which the second paragraph of the draft telegram is based.

C[ordell] H[ull]
  1. This memorandum was returned to the Secretary’s office on August 11, bearing the President’s handwritten endorsement “OK FDR”.
  2. The “draft telegram” was subsequently sent as telegram No. 4856, August 12, to London, infra.
  3. Not attached to file copy.