811.34553B/8–646: Telegram
The Ambassador in Portugal (Baruch) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:51 p.m.]
698. For Hickerson from Culbertson. Met with Portuguese yesterday. Copy of statement I made on way to you through Army channels should arrive day or so. It was mostly a summary and restatement. Portuguese presented outline of basis upon which they feel agreement might be possible, having in mind sovereignty and sensibilities. This morning they sent us the following notes on meeting. Literal translation points of what they presented yesterday:
“1. Duration of agreement.
The American proposal establishes 99 years. The Portuguese Delegation could only accept an agreement for a very short period, say of about 5 years, because:
- a.
- They cannot agree to the utilization of the two fields in the Azores against any enemy and, on the other hand, as it is not possible to indicate the enemy, only by making a short-term agreement can the enemy be in a certain manner defined and the Portuguese Delegation may thus take a conscientious (intelligent) position.
- b.
- We limit the case to a conflict in which the two Anglo-Saxon powers are on the same side in a great war.
2. Anglo-American military utilization of this field is limited to wartime.
This means that in time of peace:
- a.
- There cannot be any discrimination in the use of the two fields in favor of any nation.
- b.
- The direct control of all activity on the two fields will be exclusively Portuguese.
- c.
- That is, there will not be any type of military occupation or intervention by foreign elements in the fields nor any type of condominium.
- d.
- But Portugal, with the objective of guaranteeing the highest type of efficiency of these fields accepts and desires advice and indications and suggestions which English and American experience points out in connection with the improvement of installations, services and equipment of the fields, not only for its civilian usage but also for its defense and military utilization, which would be presented to it by a fixed commission, the composition and function of which would be agreed upon.
- e.
- In the same manner and in order that their civilian and military personnel may be perfectly trained and acquainted with the improvements made in the fields, Portugal will promote an agreement with the governments of those two nations, either for the sending of its personnel to foreign schools or the bringing of American and British technicians to the Azores fields under conditions to be agreed upon.
- f.
- The financial responsibilities for new works, installations and equipment and their maintenance will equally be agreed upon.
In time of war, in case the two Anglo-Saxon powers are on the same side, the Portuguese Government will place at the disposal of the military air forces of the two countries, both of the fields, on a footing of equality with Portuguese air forces with all of the facilities existent therein as well as those which it may be agreed to establish there during the war, under conditions to be determined not only for the use but also for the distribution of the financial responsibilities and for their evacuation after the war.
3. The utilization of the fields by the military air force of either of the two countries will terminate within 6 months after hostilities have ceased or an armistice has been signed and within that period all military and civilian personnel should abandon the field.
4. The main agreement will be accompanied by supplementary agreements having equal value which will define details regarding:
- a.
- The conditions for the military utilization of the fields.
- b.
- The conditions for the service of foreign personnel who come here to render service in the fields in time of peace.
- c.
- The functioning of the mixed commission.
- d.
- The distribution financial responsibilities in time of peace of constructions or new equipment which is not of interest to the civil operation of the fields and in time of war those resulting from military utilization.
- e.
- Exemption of customs dues, imposts and taxes.
- f.
- Civil and criminal jurisdiction in time of war.”
These notes should be read along with minutes of July 29 meeting, now on way to you through Army channels.
There is an obvious desire on the part of the Portuguese to keep the door open but there is no basic change in their refusal to agree to presence of garrisoned troops on Portuguese territory or to a joint [Page 1014] operation. It must be solely a Portuguese show although they will accept and expect financial assistance and want technical help. They have no concept of what constitutes an effective operating military air base. No doubt they will be willing to learn and to attempt to maintain one if we give them the necessary bombers, fighters, ack ack, radar, etc., and train the Portuguese either in the States or in the Azores how to use the equipment. This training business is the only suggestion we get that Americans might be in the Azores in peacetime. They may well have in mind a concept of a test pilot in civilian clothing although it may be possible to dress up this training business even to a point of getting bomber groups, etc., in from time to time.
The group yesterday repeated their feeling that political formula was insufficient. I said we would have to know more about the Portuguese reaction to political formula before we could expect Washington to give full consideration to their proposal. Garin67 undertook to arrange Foreign Office discussions with us. It is certain they expect formula to be part of agreement they propose and that they will endeavor to step it up.
If I were asked to summarize their proposal of yesterday, such summary would be practically the same as guessed at in Embtel 680, August 1.68
We can probably through long patient hours, all days of negotiations get some worth-while improvements in their proposal. This, of course, their first counterproposal presentation and they obviously want to keep the door open. We will not, however, get it to the point of joint operation and control of the base itself.…
Please instruct. We would also like to know whether there has been any development on the British angle.
Sent Department 698; repeated Paris 121 for Delsec. [Culbertson.]