811.34553B/105: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
1858. Department’s 1607, March 3, 5 p.m. Following just received from Lisbon:
“Hopkinson45 has just shown me the draft of his proposed reply to Salazar’s memorandum of January 20 concerning the Azores bases. He informs me that this draft has been approved by London.
“In general it may be said to support the requests made independently by the United States Government and implies that such direct negotiations were expected. It answers most questions about American personnel raised in section 5 of Salazar’s note of January 20 and it wisely avoids discussion of certain points.
“2. Matters of current urgency are however entirely overlooked: (a) The second airfield and (b) the Navy squadron. I have brought these important omissions to the notice of Hopkinson and have stated that, as it is not clear to me in view of the Department’s 601, February 28 and my 634, February 29,46 whether London had given full consideration to (a) before giving approval to the draft reply under reference, I am not in a position to make any comment upon it without further reference to Washington. Hopkinson thereupon stated that he would not present the reply today. I trust therefore that the question (a) can be taken up with London and clarified urgently.
“With regard to (b) I think that pending the arrival of Tomlinson47 we should not let this matter go by default and that Hopkinson should include some reference to it in his reply in order that the door may be kept open. I shall of course discuss this point with him but I believe it would be desirable for him to receive guidance from London.”
Please take this up urgently and cable results to Lisbon repeating to Department.