WIESTERN HEMISPHERE DEFENSE


Discussion:
   Ever since the North Korean forces launched their aggression
 against the Republic of Korea, and the UN decided upon a vigorous
 opposition to that !aggression, two facts have stood out most clearly
 with respect to the attitude of the Latin American countries:
   1. All of them have expressed their full support of the action-taken
 by the UN and by the United States.
   2. While indicating their desire to be of assistance, they want to be
 told by the United ,States what kind of assistance is wanted from
 them, before they make any offers.
   There is a strong feeling among even the largest Latin American
 governments that they lack the necessary imilitary training and equip-
 ment and logistical support for an effective contribution to United
 Nations military forces. Informal conversations ,are being held with
 representatives of individual countries in order to inform them of the
 military requirement in Korea.4 It is clear, however, that so long as
 it is necessary to count upon other ,countries not only to provide man-
 power but also to meet the cost of equipment and logistics support
 for any troops sent to Korea, it is virtually out of the question for
 Latin American countries to be expected to provide any effective
 forces. In view of the limited resources of Latin American countries,
 the positive assistance of this Government will be essential to any
 effective military contribution from Latin America.
   Consideration of .whether this Government should under these cir-
 cumstances encourage Latin American military assistance to Korea in-
 volves an analysis of the benefits which the participation of Latin
 American countries in the Korean conflict might bring to the United
 States. It is felt that the following factors deserve special attention:
   1. From the viewpoint of manpower alone, it would appear desir-
able to tap the resources of Latin Americ at this stage of world con-
flict with Soviet Communism in order to avoid too great a commitment
of United States manpower. There exists in Latin America a relatively
large potential fighting force and a considerable disposition to partici-
pate in the UN effort to restore peace and security. It appears desirable
that the present opportunity of using this manpower not be lost.
2. The political advantage of active participation by Latin Ameri-
can forces in the UN    action in Korea (or in any other similar
situation) would be enormous. The Latin American peoples as a whole
are relatively remote from the Asian scene and they ,are temptedby
the thought, which is encouraged by Communist propaganda, that the,
present crisis is merely a struggle for power between the USA and

  'In a memorandum of August 5, 1950, to Mr. Miller and the other geographical
bureau chiefs, Mr. Merchant said in piart that the Joint Chiefs of Staff
had stated
it was desirable that units offered for Korean duty should be of battalion
strength,
fully equipped, and supplied for at least 60 days upon arrival in a zone
of opera-
tions. (795B.5/8-550)


6.43,