Evening star., 1943-10-13
Bases in the Azores

From several aspects Portugals
grant to Britain of antisubmarine
bases in the Azores is an event of
capital Importance. The strategic
| consequences are self-evident. The
Azores are a chain of nine islands
stretching Slantwise in mid-Atlantic
for nearly 700 miles. This extended
spacing brings the end links of the
chain simultaneously within 900
miles of Portugal, about the same
distance from Morocco, 1000 miles
from Newfoundland and 400 miles
from the British Isles. 1t is easy to see
how long-range planes can so criss-
cross the intervening stretches of
ocean as to complete the air umbrella
across the North Atlantic which has
proved the chief factor in controlling
the U-boat menace. The new bases
come as a precious aid just when
fresh weapons and tactics employed
by the German wolf packs have at
least partially revived the submarine
danger.
The Portuguese government made
the grant technically under the his
toric Anglo Portuguese treaty of
more than five centuries ago. In
deed, Mr.. Churchill elected mingled
cheers and laughter when he an
nounced to the Commons that it
1,1 Of lroS
ment signed in the year 1878. He
also revealed the interesting fact
that Portugals policy of neutrality
was adopted at the beginning of the
war with the full agreement of the
British government with a view to
preventing the war from spreading
into the Iberian PENINSULA Thus
there would appear to have been a
friendly understanding between Lis
bon and London at all times.
Despite the Portuguese contention
that the present grant Of bases in
the Azores falls under the treaty
which obligates Britain to defend
Portugal and her colonies, 1t is doubt
full whether, under accepted princi-
Piles Of international law, Portugal
has maintained its neutral status.
Germany has not at any time at
tackled or threatened Portugal or its
colonies: and it is obviously to the
detriment Of Germany that the
Azores bases have been granted.
PortugaIs quarrel has been with
Japan, which seized the Portuguese
half of the island Of Timor in the
East Indies two years ago and has
recently put pressure on the Portu-
guese colony of Macao, off the south
ern Chinese coast. All recent reports
have been concerned with the diplo-
matte crisis between Portugal and
Japan over those issues. There has
been no public mention of the Azores
bases.
However, even if it be assumed
that Portugal has acted unneutrally
toward Germany, it is far from GER
tain that Berlin will take hostile
action in reprisal. There is no way
in which the German Army could get
at Portugal by land except through
Spain, and a mutual defense pact
exists between the two Iberian coun-
tries obligating them to come to each
others aid if any third power de-
clares war on either, Generalissimo
frances increasingly cautious atti-
tude renders it highly improbable
that he would permit any passage OF
German troops across Spanish terri
tory which would Immediately plunge
Spain itself into the war. Such
damage as might be done to Portu-
gal by U-boats and the LuftWaffe
would hardly compensate for the ad-
vantages now enjoyed by Germany
in keeping Lisbon as diplomatic
window with the outer world and a
center of German propaganda and
covert espionage. The chances are
that Lisbon, on it's part, will seek to
maintain technical neutrality in re-
spect to Germany. The controversy
with Japan remains and might be
the cause of a rupture with that
country. But the status of Russia
shows that q nation can be at war
with one end of the Axis and neutral
towards the other.