WESTERN. HEMISPHERE DEFENSE


S/S-NSC Files: Lot 63D351: NSC 56 Series
Memorandum    by the Executive Secretary (Souers) to the National
                         Security Council

TOP SECRET                         [WVASHINGTON,] August 31, 1949.
NSC 56

  U.S. POLICY CONCERNING MILITARY COLLABORATION UNDER THE
       INTER-AMERICAN, TREATY OF RECIPROCAL ASSISTANCE

  The enclosed memorandum     and attachments by the Secretary of
Defense on the subject are circulated herewith for the information
of the National Security Council and, as proposed by the Secretary
of Defense, are referred to the NSC Staff for use in the preparation
of a report for Council consideration.
                                               SIDNEY W. SOuEvS

                             [Annex 1]
Memorandum by the Secretary of Defense (Johnson) to the Executive
       Secretary of the National Security Council (Souers)

TOP SECRET                           WASHINGTON, August 30, 1949.
  For several important reasons I believe that it is timely to re-
examine and state clearly and precisely U.S. policy with respect to
military collaboration with the other American nations. The last state-
ment of national policy on this subject (SWNCC 4/101I) was promul-
gated in 1945 before the ratification of the Inter-American Treaty of
Reciprocal Assistance.2 The President's Inaugural Address of 20 Jan-
uary 1949 3 was specific and emphatic in support of military imple-
mentation of regional defense arrangements in which the U.S.
participates.
  From   the point of view of the Department of Defense the un-
interrupted delivery of strategic raw material from Latin America
to the United States is vital to any major U.S. war effort. Moreover,
unless the other American republics are enabled to assume their mili-
tary responsibilities under the Treaty their capacity to support our
war potential by providing raw.materials will diminish, and it will be
necessary to divert U.S. military forces to defend our partners because
of their inability to defend themselves.

  Text in Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. ix, p. 251.
  2Text in Department of State Treaties and Other International Acts Series
  (TIAS) No. 1838, and 62 Stat. (pt. 2) 1681.
  Text in Department of State Bulletin, January 30, 1949, p. 123.


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