Office of the Historian

741.53/10–2143: Telegram

The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to President Roosevelt 1

[London,] October 19, 1943.

466. I fear there may be some misunderstanding about your proposed direct approach to Portuguese concerning use of Azores. When you told me you had received information from Lisbon that Portuguese Government would not object to direct negotiations with your Government on this subject, I encouraged you to go ahead, thinking that all you had in mind were facilities for the ferry service referred to in my No. 444,2 because in reply you said you were delighted with these arrangements.

Now I learn from Lisbon that you are instructing your Chargé d’Affaires to put the demands formulated by United States Chiefs of Staff on September 8th. The difficulties inherent in these were telegraphed from here to the Joint Staff Mission on September 18th.

I cannot help feeling that we could not obtain these for you immediately, and I wonder whether you have any definite information from Lisbon that you would be able to obtain them by direct approach.

  1. Copy transmitted to the Department by the British Embassy on October 21, 1943↩
  2. Dated October 8, p. 550.↩