Savingram unnumbered LISBON, [19 July 1939 [1]]
Received 1 August 1939
Your telegram of 18th July. [2] I interviewed Secretary-General [3] at Ministry for Foreign Affairs today and explained that the Minister for the Colonies [4] before leaving for Africa with the President of the Republic [5] had assured His Majesty’s Ambassador [6] that he had authorized his substitute at the Ministry of Colonies to dispose of Oil Search application for concession in Timor; I understand that the Departmental experts concerned were in favour of the application being granted and I would therefore be grateful if the desire of the Australian Government to see this matter concluded could be represented to the Ministry of Colonies.
Monsieur Sanpaio [sic] said that he would see what he could do; he also alluded to the fact that no steps had ever been taken to develop the Staughton concessions. I assured him that in this case there were no grounds for thinking that if the concession were granted it would not be promptly exploited.
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1 See Document 131, note 1.
2 Document 121.
3 Dr Luiz Teixeira de Sampaio.
4 Dr F.J.V. Machado.
5 General A.O. Fragoso de Carmona.
6 Sir Walford Selby.
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[AA: A981, TIMOR (PORTUGUESE) 22, iv]