811.34553B/5–1446: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Portugal (Baruch)
niact
us urgent
486. For Culbertson from Hickerson. In our opinion your next discussion with Salazar should develop the line stated in Deptel 460 May 6 in an effort to make it perfectly clear that what we seek, essentially, is an extension of the Santa Maria agreement for the period of occupation or 10 years with the addition of provisions for civil aviation use—not the long term agreement which is apparently comprehended in the draft statement contained in ur 419 May 13. In doing so it might perhaps be well to review again with Salazar the substance of the agreed instructions to the negotiators. We feel ur 425 May 14 emphasizes the desirability of this course.
Incidentally, we hope that you have by now substituted the revisions contained in Deptel 449 May 325 for the original “working paper”.
Meanwhile we assume that you have in mind arranging with Salazar, possibly by an exchange of notes, an extension of the Santa Maria agreement to cover the hiatus between June 2 and the completion of a new agreement. From what Salazar said at the beginning of his talk with the two Ambassadors on April 2726 we judge that there will be no difficulty on this score. [Hickerson.]