FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1950, VOLUME I


S/S-NSC Files: Lot 63D351: NSC 56 Series
  Memorandum: by the7Under Secretary of-State (Webb) to the
     Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay)

TOP SECRET                         WASHINGTON, November 2, 1950.
Subject: Second Progress Report: on NSC       56/2 "United States
    Policy Toward 'Inter-American Military Collaboration".
    NSC 56/2 was approved as GovernmentMalpolicy-on May 19,1950.
It is requested that this Progress Report as of October 13, 1950 be'
circulated to the members of the Council for their information.
  1. There has been continued collaboration among the Departments
of State, Defense, Army, Navy and Air 'Force in the execution of the
policy and procedures set forth in this paper. Two meetings of the
designated departmental representatives ha ve been held.
  2. Progress in the development of defense planning may be noted
in the designation, within the Department of Defense, of the United
States Delegation to the In ter-American-Defense Board as 'an agency
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff responsible for (a) over-all monitorship
of military planning for Latin American defense and (b) initiating
action to transform U.S. plans into bilateral and multilateral plans in
accordance with established U.S. guidance.
  3. The Inter-American Defense Board has revised the draft plan
for a hemisphere defense scheme, called for in NSC 56/2, and the
revised draft plan'" is being distributed for the further comments and
approval of the-Council of Delegates of the Inter-American Defense
Board after careful study and discussion. The Department of State
has just received an information copy of this revised. draft plan, and
it is now  under joint study by the Departments of State and
Defense.
  4. The Departments of Defense and State have agreed that, in
view of the strategic importance of Venezuela and the vulnerability
of its petroleum industry to internal sabotage and external military
action, it is now opportune to discuss with the Venezuelan Govern-
ment the security of- these vital installations in Venezuela. The De-
partment of State has requested the Charge d'Affaires in Caracas to
obtain the consent of the Venezuelan Government for military staff
conversations.2
  5. At the request of the President of Cuba, the U.S. Government has
agreed to send to Cuba on October 24, for a period of approximately
two weeks, a Joint U.S. Military Survey Team to study Cuba's defense

  For additional information, see the description of Enclosure A in footnote
2
to the letter dated December 16 from Secretary Marshall to Secretary Acheson,
p. 679.
  2For pertinent information, see part 2 of editorial note, vol. ixi, p.
1041.


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