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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating in European Waters, to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations

Cablegram Sent           January 20 1918.

To   Opnav, Washington.

Very Secret.

3129. Your 2243.1 Allied Council does not meet until January twenty-second.2 Have taken matter up in advance with British Admiralty and find them perfectly agreeable to the proposal that Brazilian vessels cooperate with ours at Gibraltar. Syggest [i.e., Suggest] that proposed arrangement be made by State Department. If no official communication is received on the subject before adjournment of Council, matter will be taken up unofficially with the members. Preliminary operation of Brazilian forces from Azores Islands would not appear to be essential to the execution of the proposed plan. Am informed vessels need boiler repairs which could be best made at Gibraltar.3

SIMS.       00021. 

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. Identifying numbers: “25-1-15” and in columnar fashion: “1/3/5/J/6.”

Footnote 2: As seen at Ibid., Sims asked to address the issue at the Allied Naval Council.

Footnote 3: As seen in a note at ibid., France and Italy proposed different missions for the Brazilians, however, the Brazilians did not deploy until the war was days from ending.