126 Mr O. Scott, U.K. Charge d'Affaires in Portugal, to Commonwealth Government

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.