We’re talking about the Anglo-Portuguese treaty of 1373 for “mutual friendship and defense” signed by Edward III, King of England and France, and Don Fernando, King of Portugal, and Queen Eleanor. Yes?

That treaty was used in 1943 to secure an Allied base on Terciera in the Azores (about midway across the Atlantic, perfect place for planes flying from the US to the UK to stop and refuel) — and a major victory for the Allies in the battle of the Atlantic: no need to put airplanes on Liberty ships.

I learned of the treaty and its re-activation after hundreds of years of inactivity when visiting friends on Terciera in 1985 or 86. Beautiful place in spite of there having been an earthquake a year or two prior. Welcoming people — the only place I’ve ever been where I was automatically liked because I was from the US. At the time, the base was still there. There were also volcanic caverns to explore — which come to mind when I think about what happened on White Island, NZ.