811.20 Defense (M) Portugal/1548: Telegram

The Minister in Portugal (Norweb) to the Secretary of State

1775. In reviewing the course of the wolfram negotiations which have fortunately come to a satisfactory conclusion, it appears to be undeniable that it was the invocation of the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance which finally carried the day.

I believe, however, that analysis will reveal that the action of Brazil in joining the United States and Great Britain proved to be very [Page 132] helpful. The Brazilian Ambassador’s approach, it will be recalled from telegram sent at the time,8 took Salazar completely by surprise and the injection by the Brazilians of the thought that Portuguese blood was being shed because of wolfram together with the psychological effect of being appealed to by the daughter nation—a member of the family—at the very moment it was preparing an expeditionary force proved to be extraordinarily effective.

Norweb
  1. Telegram 1371, May 6, 7 p.m., p. 102.