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Carter, John F. - Portugese Colonial Policy, January 1944
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PSF: Subject File
Carter, John Franklin - Studies of
Migration and Settlement - Portugal
Colonial Policy 10/24/43
PSF 9.7.Cartu folder
JOHN FRANKLIN CARTER
(Jay Franklin)
1210 NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING
WASHINGTON, D.C.
"We, the People"
"The Week in Washington"
Metropolitan 4112
Metropolitan 4113
January 28, 1944.
MEMORANDUM FOR MISS TULLY: REPORTS FROM THE FIELD-BOWMAN COMMITTEE (M PROJECT)
Herewith enclosed, please find two recent reports completed by the Bowman-
Field Committee on Migration and Settlement ("M" Project) for includion in the
President's file.
pc
J.F.O.
PSF,
carter
No. M-42
Copy No. 1 of 3
STUDIES OF
MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT
Memorandum
Subject: The Aspects of Portuguese Colonial Policy
Date: October 24, 1943
Study Room 115
Library of Congress Annex
Washington, D. C.
Tel. Republic 5127
October 24, 1943
ASPECTS OF PORTUGUESE COLONIAL POLICY
The attached Memorandum has been excerpted
from O.S.S. Free C.I.D. Document No. 43056 which
was received from the Office of the Military
Attache, American Legation, Lisbon. This report
was dated July 27, 1943.
No editorial revisions were made by the
Staff of "M" Project.
Janny Feeld
CONFIDENTIAL
ASPECTS OF PORTUGUESE COLONIAL POLICY
1. On July 7, 1943, an article by Mimoso Moreira
was published in the Lisbon paper "Jornal do Comercio"
regarding results of a questionnaire presented to 163
national and foreign colonists of Angola, following
certain experiments of colonization of that region
which were carried out by the Benguela Railroad Com-
pany. Forty-one (41) of those questioned were for-
eigners. Only 4 of the Portuguese colonists had been
settled by official initiative, although 45 had re-
ceived help from the State.
Among the colonists questioned, 57 were in
definite possession of their properties, 35 possessed
masonry or brick houses with tile roofs, 53 had adobe
houses with tile or zinc roofs, 104 had farm animals,
66 sold oxen and 60 sold pigs, 63 sold fruit, 57 sold
dairy products, 38 were in the milling business, the
greater part had fruit trees, and almost all cultivated
corn, wheat, beans, coffee, and potatoes. The 163
colonists questioned had 14,670 head of cattle.
Twenty-six (26) colonists produced 36 or more tons of
corn, and 27 produced 15 or more tons of wheat.
- 2 -
Twenty-one (21) were in a good position, 54 in
a normal position, 62 were beset by difficulties, and
26 were in a miserable situation. Thus, only 21% were
living without embarrassment, and this, it is explained,
was not due to agricultural conditions but to the cir-
cumstance of negotiation with the natives. Sixty-seven
(67) complained of lack of capital, 42 of the adminis-
trative authorities, 37 of the lack of laborers, 21 of
the expensiveness of agricultural credit. Twenty (20)
of the necessity of technical assistance, and 13 that
the lands were bad and not suited to agriculture.
Only one of the colonists had had agricultural experi-
ence previously.
The foreign colonists, in general, were of a
social type superior to that of the Portuguese colonist.
Little differentiated the Italian colonists, grouped
in Cutato, Tunda do Biel, from the Portuguese colonists.
Many of the German colonists brought capital to the
colony and set up coffee plantations. However, the
war created difficulties particularly affecting these,
cutting off their markets, their sources of fertilizers,
and turning their position more and more precarious.
From the inquiry it is concluded that Europeans
can locate themselves and live as agriculturists in
- 3 -
Angola, at least in the region of the tableland, even
without technical assistance and without public or
private foreign help. However, the agricultural activ-
ity of the Europeans is not lucrative, and the majority
are forced to resort to trading with the natives as
well. Also, no European agriculturalist is able to
maintain himself without exploiting a considerable area
of land and employing native labor. It is also noted
that European colonists tend to congregate and to form
villages.
In general, the conclusion is reached from the
above experiment that the cost of such a directed
colonization is insupportable in relation to the eco-
nomic benefits received from it. Considering 30,000$00
escudos as the initial cost of a plantation, the expense
of installing 5,000 colonists would not greatly affect
the vast territory of Angola. The conclusion reached
by many acquainted with the problem was stated by one
expert as follows: "Agriculture in Africa must be
essentially left to the native; the European must work
in Africa only as a specialized operator - as director -
orientor and inspector." Artificial colonization is
not a success.
- 4 -
2. Interesting examples of certain Portuguese
opinions regarding Portugal's colonies and her right
to them are contained in a small pamphlet entitled
"Portugal's Colonial Empire" published by the official
propaganda office, from which the following are ex-
cerpted:
"Portugal's colonial empire is the fifth
largest in world. If
Following the Berlin conference in 1884-85,
and Prince Bismark's remarked hope that international
conflicts regarding the conditions of effective pos-
session of the territories on the coastsof Africa might
be avoided, "The facts, however, proved that, so far as
Portugal was concerned, such conflict could only be
avoided by accepting the claims made by the Great Powers,
claims founded for the most part on their armed might."
"During the last century it became necessary
to defend Portuguese Guinea against the claims of Great
Britain, who wished to obtain possession of the island of
Bolama, and of France, who sought to extend her influence
to the South of the river Casamansa." The Bolama ques-
tion was settled in favor of Portugal by President Grant
on April 21, 1870." The territory bordering the river
Casamansa, including the fortress and region of Ziguicho,
- 5 -
was lost to France by the agreement reached in Paris
on May 12, 1886.
"The recognition by the Berlin Conference of
the International Congo Association
despoiled
Portugal of inalienable historic rights" in Angola.
"In the negotiations with Germany concerning the
southern boundary in 1889, Portugal's rights were not
recognized." Territory historically claimed by
Portugal was incorporated in the territory of German
South West Africa.
"The foundation of the Congo Free State and
the negotiations with England which ended in 1892,
prevented Angola from being joined to Mozambique."
Portugal also feels that the southern and western
boundaries of Mozambique were fixed by circumstances
beyond her control. At the end of the last century,
Portugal lost certain territory in the north of
Mozambique to Germany, but this was restored by the
Treaty of Versailles. "The legal position of Quionga
cannot therefore be considered the same as that of the
other former colonies of Germany. As Portuguese ter-
ritory, which had been seized without any right by a
stronger power, it was simply restored by the Peace
Treaty to its 'original and legitimate possessor'.'
- 6 -
"Portugal owes her Empire to no other nation; and
we know of no other nation that can say the same, with
regard to Portugal."
3. The first article of the Portuguese Constitu-
tion, after enumerating the component parts of the
Portuguese empire, states: "The Nation does not re-
nounce the rights which it has or may come to have
over any other territory."