WESTERN HEMISPHERE ..DEFENSE


   b. As a long-range objective, the United 'States seeks the com-
 plete standardization along U.S. lines of the training, equipment
 and doctrine of the armed force of each Latin American country.

                            CONCLUSIONS
   18. In global war, the security of the Western Hemisphere -and
 U.S. access to its resources and manpower would be essential to the
 transoceanic projection of major U.S. offensive power.
   19. To minimize diversion of U.S. forces for defense of the West-
 ern Hemisphere, the United States should make every effort to assure
 the availability and use of indigenous armed forces in Latin America
 for the execution of military tasks within their capabilities.
   20. The security interests of the United States would be advanced
 by the maintenance and further development of inter-American mii-
 tary collaboration, including standardization, continued military
 orientation of. the Latin American states toward the United States,
 and development of agreed collective defense plans.
   21. The 'Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance constitutes
 the political framework of the regional defense arrangement required
 to secure Latin American participation in the defense of the Western
 Hemisphere. Because of its position among the American republics,
 it devolves upon the United States to take the lead in the accom-
 plishment of these, arrangements. Existing U.S. policies respecting
 Inter-American military collaboration should be continued.
   22. Further measures are now required to enable the United States
 to promote sound collective security and to accomplish in the event
 of war: the:prompt and effective implementation of an agreed plan
 for hemisphere defense. As the first measure to this end a Western
 Hemisphere Defense Scheme, in form acceptable to this Government
 should be evolved within the Inter-American Defense Board.7 This
 Defense Scheme should be within the general framework of the U.S.
 military concept, principles and objectives for collective security of
 the Western Hemisphere and should include a statement of the
 strategic aims and defense principles of the American states for the
 collective security of the zone established in the Rio Treaty.
   23. As the next step, the United States should seek to obtain accept-
ance by the Latin American governments of the Hemisphere Defense
Scheme.
  24. When all or a sufficient number of the American states have
approved the Hemisphere Defense Scheme, it should be the basis for
the formulation by United States and Latin American military rep-

  7 For the 1ADB's "Common Defense Scheme for the American Continent,"
October 27, 1950, see footnote 2 to Secretary Marshall's letter to Secretary
Acheson, December 16, 1950, p. 679.


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