Office of the Historian

853.014/8–145: Telegram

No. 1302
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Portugal (Baruch)
secret
Washington, August 1, 1945—1 p.m.

1270. Portuguese Ambassador called on me July 24 and outlined in detail Portuguese interest in early communication to them of plans for implementing provisions of British and American Timor notes.1 He feared that the war with Japan might end with no provision having been made for Portuguese troops to assist in liberation or occupation of Timor.

Bianchi was assured that problem had received continuing attention of Dept. as well as of JCS and CCS. I emphasized that our armed forces were concentrating all efforts on bringing war with Japan to victorious end at earliest possible moment and pointed out that military and naval authorities would not want to deflect their efforts in any degree from this essential purpose.

For your information present difficulty is location of acclimatization and training area. It is hoped that this will be resolved shortly. [Page 1360] British Embassy here is communicating with London and shortly after return to Washington of JCS officers now at Potsdam Dept hopes to be able to prepare joint statement with British giving Salazar present status of planning.2

Grew
J[ohn] D H[ickerson]
  1. See document No. 1301.↩
  2. No communication was actually given to the Portuguese Government on this subject until after the conclusion of the Berlin Conference.↩