WESTER    HEMISP-HERE DEFENSE


667


,720.5621/9-1!250 :- ,  .. : .° : , : .       :.. ..:.   .
  The Secretary, of State. to the.Secretary of Defense (Marshall):

CONFIDENTIAL                         WASHINGTON4, October 19, 1950.
   MY DEAR MR. SECRETARY: Careful consideration has been given to
ýthe program of sale of excess United States naval vessels to certain
ýLatin Aimericani.governments which the Department of Defense pro-
posed in its letter of September 12, 1950. The Department of State
concurs in the proposed allocation.
  In giving its concurrence, the Department is well aware of the great
importance to the United States Government of the plans for the
defense of this hemisphere which are now in progress, and of the neces-
sity for takingappropriatesteps to insure that the Latin American

governments !are in a position to fulfil effectively the roles in hemi-
sphere defense which they will have to undertake. While ideally it
might be well to postpone action until the Inter-American Defense
Plan has been developed and accepted by-the nations involved, I be-
lieve that the desirability of following this course is outweighed. by
the , possibility that the nations involved may look elsewhere for the
satisfaction of their minimum desires,-and by the fact that acceptance
of this program represents a deviation from such ideal procedure only
in chronology ,and not in principle. I further believe that the desires,
,already expressed, of certain: of the other American governments to
purchase naval vessels constitute strong evidence of their intentions to
collaborate in, the achievement of an effective inter-American defense
system or, at a very minimum, the defense of their respective countries.
   In agreeing to this proposed allocation of ships, I assume that the
 program has been devoeloped after taking account of priority require-
 ments for grant-aid countries in Western Europe under the Medium
 .Term Plan,' and the requirements of countries eligible for grant-aid
 in other parts of the world, and that, in this connection, proper weight
 has been given to the general desirabiilty of discouraging production
 in Europe of equipment that could be provided from available stocks
 under grant-aid. I also assume that the proposals are consistent with
 plans of the Inter-American Defense Board as thus far formulated
 and that it has been determined that these are the types and numbers
 of naval units which will be needed by these Latin American govern-
 ments in connection with any hemisphere defense scheme which is
 likely to evolve. If I am not accurate regarding any of these assump-

 'For information on this Plan, see vol. ii, pp. 1 If.