811.20 Defense (M) Portugal/1511: Telegram
The Minister in Portugal (Norweb) to the Secretary of State
[Received 1:50 p.m.]
1504. Assuming that the confidential figures we are currently obtaining of wolfram exports to the enemy are close to the fact, it is apparent that should these continue at the same level for 6 months from March 1 they will have approached the ceiling suggested by Salazar without taking any account of illicit shipments (reference my 1481, May 16, 6 p.m.80). Even on the basis of his own estimate of around 70 tons a month as representing these exports on the supposition that he will question our figures and that we are not in a position to prove them in view of the secret nature of our sources the total is alarming. It therefore occurs to us that, as an immediate interim step to which British and Brazilian agreement could readily be had, an urgent joint approach should be made to Salazar with a view to the provisional stoppage of such exports pending the reaching of a satisfactory settlement of the entire wolfram issue.
Repeated to London [as] No. 227. To Madrid by courier.
- Not printed.↩