Since the beginning of the armed struggle the Portuguese
official information agencies have been in a dilemmas on the
one hand they want to minimise the action of liberation
forces in order to retain the confidence of investors and of
their military allies and to keep their own people and the
people of Mozambique in ignorrnce as to the strength of the
freedom fighters. On the other hand they want to convince their
southern African and NATO allies of the need to give their
hard-pressed forces military support. In any case as the scale
of the war increased it became impossible to hide its existence altogether, and it became necessary to publish communiques
communiques to try to convince the white settler in Mozambique
and interested parties in Portugal that affective action was
being taken against the guerrillas. At first the policy of
denial prevailed but as the war began to make a decisive impression not only in Mozambique but in Portugal as well the
Portuguese authorities have been forced more and more to take
the second course. The following excerpts from official
statements and from the Portuguese press illustrate how the •
Portuguese have been changing their tune, since the outbreak
of the war in 19*4.
1) 12th September 1964 (Before the launching of the armed
struggle) !,Diario da Manila" s
"It is clear that we, -Portuguese are forwamed and it will
not be possible for the agent Eduardo Mondlane to repeat in
Mozambique the vile exploits of agents in Angola. He who is
forwarned doubles his defences.
2) 9th October 1964. Statement of a spokesman for the Portuguese Defense Ministry, quoted in the Johannesburg "Star",
commenting on reports of armed action in Mozambique.
11  "There has been nothing at all whatsoever. These are only
rumours which we absolutely deny"
3) October 20th 1964 "Diario Popular" Lisbon;
"The supposed terrorist invasions in Mozambique are still
being exploited by some sections"of the world press and radio.
However, besides the infiltration oyer our border by 5 groups
of *»e^s than 20 individuals, some disguised in Portuguese
uniform, nothing has happened to disturb the peace or provoke
alarm."
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