Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War 1939/31419: Telegram

The Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

Rio de Janeiro, October 4, 1943—4 p.m.
[Received 6:41 p.m.]

4695. I have in mind the confidential conversations at which I assisted in Natal between President Roosevelt and President Vargas54 concerning the sending abroad of Brazilian military forces; and subsequent correspondence.

My Military Attaché55 received on Saturday a telegram from Colonel Hertford56 asking him to ascertain how the Brazilians would receive a suggestion to send to North Africa, for training purposes, a Brazilian division during the month of December; another division a little later. Inquiry was also made as to the pertinent part to be played by the Brazilian Air Forces.

Hertford said that in the event the Brazilian reaction were favorable, an appropriate recommendation would then be made to the Combined Chiefs of Staff.

I have brought this matter to President Vargas’ attention and hope to have an early definite reply in relation to the whole Brazilian policy in connection with an expeditionary force.

Caffery
  1. For correspondence on this meeting, see pp. 653 ff.↩
  2. Col. Claude M. Adams.↩
  3. Col. K. F. Hertford, Caribbean-Latin American Section, Operations Division, War Department.↩