811.20 Defense (M) Portugal/1432: Telegram

The Minister in Portugal (Norweb) to the Secretary of State

522. As I previously reported Salazar’s obvious reluctance to see either the British Ambassador or me regarding the Azores is no doubt due to his desire to avoid discussing wolfram until a decision has been reached with regard to the embargo in Spain. I assume that we intend to obtain such an embargo in due course. But in the meantime I wish to invite attention to the fact that the Portuguese-German wolfram agreement expires on February 29. Even though a decision in Spain has not been reached by that date I believe that the British Ambassador and I should be instructed jointly to request a temporary embargo in Portugal pending clarification of the problem as a whole.

Sent Department, repeated London 82, Madrid 55.

Norweb