811.24553B/11–2945
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of
State
[Washington,] November 29,
1945.
Lord Halifax called, at his request, to see the Secretary.
Lord Halifax handed to the Secretary an Aide-Mémoire97 about the Azores and Cape Verde Islands.
The Secretary told the Ambassador Secretary Vinson98 had inquired today about the base negotiations,
in connection with the financial discussions which have been going
on since September 10, and I told him we had no definite statement
about bases.
Lord Halifax read to the Secretary a message99 he had
received from Mr. Bevin regarding the bad effect on world peace of
considering the Azores as a military base. Mr. Bevin suggests that
his Government approach the Portuguese with the proposal that the
Azores be made a “free-for-all civil aviation station, and that in
the event of war it would be available to the Security Council”.
Portugal should retain sovereignty and agreement to equip the
Islands should be between Great Britain, the U. S., Canada and
Brazil.
Lord Halifax explained that Bevin’s general thought is that he
doesn’t want to be left out of the Azores, that it would be much
better
[Page 217]
for him to approach
Salazar,1 and he does not see
the same urgency of forestalling Russia in the Azores as the
Secretary saw in Iceland.
The Secretary said he would consider the messages left with him.
[Annex]
The British Ambassador (Halifax) to the Secretary of
State
Message From Mr. Bevin Dated November
27th, 1945
I have given considerable thought to the question of the Azores.
I think it bad in the interests of world peace to talk about the
Azores and Cape Verde being military bases. Everybody recognises
that the Azores are a great air communications station, and
would it not be better if they were treated as such? Should this
view be accepted by the United States it would be preferable
that as a result of our treaty arrangements, His Majesty’s
Government should approach Salazar and induce him to make the
proposal that the Azores should be treated as a free-for-all
civil aviation station but that the agreement to equip the
station should be between Portugal, who would retain
sovereignty, Brazil, (which would bring in South America and
please Portugal) the United States, Canada and His Majesty’s
Government. In the unlikely event of war, if the station were
supplied with meteorological equipment and His Majesty’s
Government had again to use it for warlike purposes it would be
very easily convertible; and there could be a declaration that
in the event of war it would be available to the Security
Council. But in my view it would give great satisfaction in
Great Britain and in many other countries in the world if His
Majesty’s Government talked less of bases and more of
development along the above lines, and I would like you to
approach Mr. Byrnes with this rather bigger view.
