COPY.
(* 19058/31/36)
No. (10/146)
My dear Roberts,
51
BRITISH EMBASSY,
LISBON.
8th October, 1937.
I am sorry to have to keep badgering you about
the Osprey machines which the Portuguese Government need
urgently at Macau (see your telegram No. 141 and connected
correspondence). My only excuse is that I am being "got at"
daily and have almost exhausted my stock of temporising
replies.
Hawkers' local agents have shown me a telegram
showing that Hawkers themselves are willing to do all possible
to supply the need of the Portuguese Government, but they
urge strong action by the Embassy with the object of inducing
the Admiralty to agree.
The position, as I understand it, is that the Fleet
Air Arm have only a small reserve of Ospreys and cannot at
present see their way to cough up four from that source.
But I understand that the Osprey is really little more than
a converted Hind and as Hawkers are willing and anxious to
play up, it looks as though they would be able to hand over
four Ospreys to the Admiralty in a very short time as they
are still turning out Hinds. In any case, I believe the
Fleet Air Arm has plenty of Ospreys in service. Cannot they
be induced to take the little risk there is and, in view of
Hawkera' attitude, get an undertaking from them to fill the
zep, quam celerrime?
If it is a question of price, I gather that the
Portuguese Government will not boggle over-much on this
W. Bt. C. koberta, Esq., G.M.G., M.C.,
Foreign Office.
score./