640


FOREIGN RELATIONS) 195 0, VOLUME I


the Inter-American Defense Board of a hemisphere defense scheme;
(b) preparation by the Defense Department in consultation with the
State Department of a specific role for each Latin American country
within the above defense scheme, (c) agreement of each Latin Ameri-
can country to be sought on its defense role. When these roles are es-
tablished they will serve as a basis for measuring the requirements
for military equipment of each country. The Department is charged
with coordinating the implementation of the policy paper and we have
already expressed to the Defense Department the necessity for their
formulating without delay the defense roles which are to be discussed
with Latin American countries.
                                           EDWARD G. MILLER, JR.


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

 TOP SECRET                           [WASRINGTON,] July 15, 1950.
 Subject: First Progress Report on NSC 56/2. "United States Policy
     Toward Inter-American Military Collaboration".
   NSC 56/2 was approved as Governmental policy on May 19, 1950.
 It is requested that this Progress Report dated July 1, 1950 be cir-
 culated to the members of the Council for their information.
   1. The Department of State, Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force
 have each designated a responsible officer 1 to facilitate contact and
 collaboration among the Departments in the execution of the policy
 and procedures set forth in the paper. Two meetings of representatives
 have been held.
   2. The policy incorporated in the above-mentioned paper continues
 the main policies and activities in effect prior to the adoption of NSC
 56/2. The chief activities which are therefore being continued are:
 (a) maintenance of training missions in Latin America; (b) training
 of Latin American nationals in the United States; (c) joint planning
 for hemisphere defense; (d) transfer of military equipment. Progress
 may be noted in all of these matters with the exception of the transfer
 of military equipment, which has been seriously hampered by the low
 priority accorded Latin American nations under MDAP and the high
 costs of equipment under that program.
   3. The staff of the Inter-American Defense Board has completed
 a current plan 2 for a hemisphere defense scheme as called for in

   'James E. Webb, Under Secretary of State, said in a letter of June 2,
1950, to
 Secretary Johnson that Mr. Dreier would have primary responsibility within
 the State Department for implementation of the policy embodied in NSC 56/2.
 (720.5 MAP/6-250)
   2 Document T-03, June 20, 1950 (not printed).