ANGLO-PORTUGUESE FRIENDSHIP
FORMATION OF ANGLO-PORTUGUESE SOCIETY
A dinner in honour of the Portuguese Ambassador and Mme de Sttau Monteiro arranged by friends in this country who are closely connected with Portugal was held at The Dorchester last night. Sir Francis Lindley, for some years British Ambassador in Lisbon, presided.
Lord Harlech, in submitting the toast “Portugal” said that the accident of birth had necessitated his sudden resignation from an office which he first entered some 16 years ago and the abandonment of work and interests which had meant so much to him. Ministerial responsibility had on many occasions brought him in personal contact with Portugal’s Colonial Empire, more particularly in Africa. As he was now a free man and could speak freely, he wished to point out that far more important than their valuable and long-established mutual trade was the mutual interest of their political alliance. They had a common interest in defending the integrity, undiminished, of their possessions in Africa – not only in Africa, where the use of Portuguese ports and harbours were a vital necessity to the commerce of the Union of South Africa, the Rhodesias and Nyasaland, but on the high road to Africa down the Atlantic. The integrity and independence of Lisbon, Madeira and the Azores, and the Cape Verde Islands was a British strategic interest almost as much as it was a Portuguese. Events in the world to-day, and particularly in Spain, made the mutual friendship and alliance of Britain and Portugal even more important to both of us than in the past. Founded on centuries of tradition and mutual good will, it was to-day, as in the days of Wellington and Nelson, a mutual interest
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
The Portuguese Ambassador, responding said that the gathering represented a most pleasing tribute of British good will towards his country, and he hoped that such a manifestation would have, both in Britain and Portugal, most happy results, reawakening the feeling of solidarity so long dormant. Those who had arranged the dinner had shown his countrymen, with first-class diplomacy, that indeed Portugal could count here upon a wide-spread friendship; they had shown the falsity of that which others had sought to make them believe. His countrymen would see that the age-old diplomatic attachment between the two countries was not a mere political concern, a cold marriage of convenience, but a bond of mutual fellowship and understanding – a marriage of interest, but also of respect and love. Its foundations were in political, strategic, and economic interest most certainly – but also in the hearts of the people.
(Cheers)
DESTINY OF TWO PEOPLES
The presence of so many ladies had a symbolic significance. Two great ladies of the past played a dominant part in the Anglo-Portuguese friendship: Phillippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal; Catherine of Braganza, Queen of England. The former appeared at the birth of the alliance between the two countries; the latter on its renewal during his country’s long struggle for independence in the seventeenth century.
England and Portugal had travelled through life bound by ties of brotherly friendship for many centuries. British and Portuguese soldiers had mingled their blood on the fields of battle, falling in the same cause, not once through some chance diplomatic arrangement, but times without number down the ages. Their kings began to talk of alliance as early as 1373, and since then – for almost 600 years – that word has never ceased to symbolize their relations. The very fact of such lengthy persistence would seem to show that in the close connexion there was a kind of hidden destiny of the two peoples. For centuries the alliance had derived its political strength from the sea and from the position of the coasts. To-day the development of aviation had enhanced that value. New and immense risks had to be faced. Its power and importance had been doubled. More than ever did the Portuguese and British territories complete one another.
AUTHORITY WITH LIBERTY
Dr. Salazar, their Prime Minister, was the man who, in Portugal, succeeded in reconciling determined authority with individual liberty. He discerned in the depths of their national character, the middle course between revolution and order, between tradition and social reform. He said in a famous speech “We are not attracted by the mad rush of mechanism, nor by the colossal, the immense, the brutal strength, if the influence of the spirit does not touch them, consecrating them to the service of a life every day more beautiful, higher, and nobler. We want to make the land more productive but without suppressing the gay songs of the peasants. We are trying at all costs to preserve against the tide of materialism the simplicity of our life, the purity of our customs, the kindliness of our feelings, the equilibrium of our social relations.”
Let them consider, that, in our time, public opinion dominated international relations, and they would see how difficult was the work of diplomacy, to which belonged not only the establishment of contact between Governments, but the creation of an understanding between two peoples. This work was indeed most productive of peace and prosperity. Portuguese ideals were also British ideals.
Sir Denison Ross proposed “The Guests” and Sir Patrick Hannon, M.P. responded.
NEW SOCIETY TO BE FORMED
The Chairman announced that it had been decided to form an Anglo-Portuguese Society. He read a number of congratulatory telegrams, including one from Dr. Salazar, the Portuguese Prime Minister, expressing his pleasure at the initiative taken for the purpose of leading the Portuguese and English peoples to a more complete understanding.
The Chairman added that he had sent a telegram to the President of the Portuguese Republic conveying greetings and good wishes from 300 friends of Portugal gathered at the dinner. The message added: “As a result of the dinner an Anglo-Portuguese Society, of which the Ambassador has kindly consented to be president, will be formed and we are confidence that the society will add strength to the indissoluble bonds of friendship so long existing between the two countries.”
A telegram sent to Dr. Salazar , the Prime Minister of Portugal, conveyed “deep admiration of your splendid work in Portugal.”
It was further announced by Sir Francis Lindley that a gentleman connected with Portugal, who wished to remain anonymous, had offered to give a capital sum which would provide a yearly prize to the best student in English at the University of Lisbon.
Those present included:-
Lord Addington, Lord Harlech, Lord and Lady Hinchingbrooke, Lord and Lady Inchiquin, Lord Lamington, Lord Skelmersdale, General Sir Noel and Lady Birch, Mrs. Geoffrey Dawson, Miss Margaret Bigge, Prince Ade Chimay.
Mr. and Mrs. G.E. Aeron-Thomas, Mr. Evelyn Baring, Mr. Geoffrey Burton, Colonel and Mrs. Bridges, Mr. C. H. Bateman, Sir Albion Banerji, Sir Frank Baddeley, Mr. John Bain, Colonel and Mrs. Ian M. Campbell, Mr. E. H. Cockburn, Mr. Geoffrey Cory-Wright, Captain and Mrs. Lionel Cohen, Mr. And Mrs. H.M. Cleminson, Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. J. Cross Brown, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Herbert Ellissen, Mr. H. R. H. Edwards, Mr. and Mrs A. L. de Faria, Lieutenant-Colonel R. B. Follett, Captain C. de Faria, Mr. V. E. Goodman, Mr. V. V. Garin, Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Greenwood, V.C., Brigadier-General F. W. Hammond, Colonel and Mrs. C. B. R. Hornung, Major M. C. V. Hurst, Sir Patrick Hannon, M.P. and Lady Hannon, Captain and Mrs. George Hornung, Dr. Otto Huttenbach, Sir Roderick Jones, Mr. and Mrs. F. Kerr, Mr. C. Lidbury, Mr. F. J. Leathers, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Forbes.
Dom Caetano de Lancastre, Count de Lavradios, Mr. P. G. Mylne Mitchell, Mr. and Mrs. S. de Mendonça, Major J. J. Munro, Sir Basil Mayhew, Captain McEwen, M.P, Baron Marochetti, Mr. V. I Oury, Mr. Libert Oury, Sir Edward Peacock, Air Vice-Marshal and Mrs. R. E. C. Peirse, Lieutenant-Colonel R. M. Preston, Major T. P. Rose Richards, Sir E. Denison Ross, Dr. Luiz Leotte do Rego, Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Roberts, Sir Alexander and Lady Roger, Mrs. Eva Glas de Paiva Raposo, Professor A. A. Rodrigues, Sir Ernest Roney, Lieutenant-Commander and Mrs. Slacke, Mr. and Mrs. Nevison de Courcy, Mr. S. Sparkes, Mr. and Mrs. G. Sandeman, Mr. and Mrs. H. Somerville-Smith, Mr. Charles V. Sale, Major and Mrs. T. G. Sandeman, Dr. Joaquim de Barros Ferreira da Silva, Mr. and Mrs. R. T.D. Stoneham, Lieutenant-Colonel Valentine and Lady Aline Vivien, Brigadier-General C. R. Woodroffe, Mr. T. Wiles, Dr. Mary Wiles, Sir Charles Wingfield, Mr. W. J. Woolrich, Dr. and Mrs. W. G. Woolrich, Mr. Ronald E. L. Wingate, and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Wilshaw.
From The TIMES May 20
This article was reproduced in the Anglo-Portuguese News 28-5-1938
(This article has been transcribed by Carol Mason/Rankin. Any errors are included exactly as they appear in the original.)