BASES IN AZORES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 October 1943, Page 3

BASES IN AZORES

MADE AVAILABLE TO BRITAIN BY PORTUGAL For Better Protection of Merchant Shipping IMPORTANT BEARING ON WAR AGAINST U-BOATS ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR CHURCHILL IN HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON, October .12. Mr Churchill announced in the House of Commons that Portugal has granted Britain certain facilities in the Azores, in mid-Atlantic, to enable her to provide better protection for merchant shipping. Britain is to supply Portugal with essential materials and supplies. The new agreement between Britain and Portugal arose out of the treaty signed in 1373 and reinforced on a number of occasions since. This treaty has been in force for nearly 600 years. Mr Churchill said Portugal, since the outbreak of war, and in full agreement with Britain, had adopted a policy of neutrality, with a view to preventing the war from spreading into the Iberian Peninsula. This policy was in no way inconsistent with the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, which was reaffirmed in the early days of the war. Britain had now requested Portugal to provide certain facilities at the Azores for the better protection of merchant shipping and the Portuguese Government had agreed to grant the facilities asked for. Mr Churchill said the agreement was only a temporary one and it would in no way prejudice the maintenance of Portuguese sovereignty. All British forces would be withdrawn at the end of the war. In the view of the United Kingdom Government, the agreement had given new life and vigour to the friendship which had so long existed between Great Britain and Portugal. Mr Churchill took the opportunity of placing on record the appreciation of the Government, which he was sure was shared by Parliament and the British nation, of the action of the Portuguese Government, whose loyalty to Britain never wavered in the darkest hours of the war. The United States had been kept, informed of the pro- ' posals and approved the arrangements made.