Pedro Teotónio Pereira
He played a decisive role for the Allies, in drawing Spain with Portugal into a neutral peninsular bloc during World War II.
At the end of World War I, a new legislation on compulsory social insurance had been introduced in Portugal, but the lack of scientific studies caused the outcome of the experience of the Portuguese first Republic to be weak.
[9] Following Salazar's policies Teotónio Pereira supported Franco from the very beginning but assumed the complicated role of fighting the influence of both Italians and Germans.
[12] The testimonials from Carlton Hayes and Samuel Hoare would later become very useful to Theotonio Pereira as, while he was placed as ambassador in Brazil, he was unduly accused by the press of having been close to the Nazis.
[12][1] Mr. Carlton Hayes, then his American colleague in the diplomatic corps wrote of him in his book, Wartime Mission in Spain: "His strong patriotism was at all times evident as was also his loyalty to the historic Anglo-Portuguese alliance.
Though he distrusted Serrano Súñer and heartily disliked the Falange, his long and close association with other influential advisers of General Franco and with large segments of the Spanish people stood us, as well as himself, in good stead....
In his constant endeavor to draw Spain with Portugal into a really neutral Peninsular bloc, he contributed immeasurably, at a time when the British and ourselves had much less influence, toward counteracting the propaganda and pleas of our enemies".
Most were Frenchmen, half starved, without money or clothes, and Hayes wrote of the decisive intervention of Teotónio Pereira in favour of 16,000[14] [15] French military refugees who were trying in 1943 to get from Spain to North Africa to join the Allied forces.
The Quest of the Schooner Argus made news on the BBC, in the main London newspapers, the National Geographic Magazine, and the New York Times.
In 1953, Teotónio Pereira, together with Bernard Morgan, inspired by the idea of bringing young cadets and seamen under training together from around the world to compete in a friendly competition, organized the first edition of the Tall Ships' Races that took place in 1956 from Torbay – south of England – to Lisbon.
