Office of the Historian

179. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland) to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)1

Washington, January 12, 1955.

Dear Mr. Secretary: This afternoon the Council of the Organization of American States acting provisionally as Organ of Consultation adopted a resolution, three copies of whose English translation are attached.

In the implementation of Paragraph 3 of that resolution, the Department of State requests that the Department of Defense make available to the Investigating Committee, if possible, twelve planes of a type suitable to operate in the areas embraced by the territorial limits of the Republics of Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

It would be expected that these planes would be stationed at bases in the above-defined area suitable for their type but designated by the abovementioned committee. From the base at which they would be so stationed they would fly observation flights throughout the above-designated areas as requested by the Investigating Committee. These flights would be made solely for the purpose of obtaining through observation such data as the Investigating Committee might request. It is clearly understood that these aircraft would not afford air cover or other support to either side in the hostilities now occurring in Costa Rica; however, it would be expected that the planes would defend themselves if attacked by hostile aircraft.

Subject to the approval of the Department of Defense, the Department of State suggests that the wishes of the Investigating Committee with respect to the operations of these planes will be transmitted by Ambassador John C. Dreier, the United States Member of the Committee, to an officer designated by Defense and to be located at whatever communications center Defense may select in [Page 592] the Canal Zone. That officer would, in turn, transmit instructions directly to the personnel in charge of the planes.

It is requested that, if possible, these planes be prepared to proceed on the morning of January 13 to the bases designated by the Investigating Committee and reported to you by the Department of State.

We are anxious to conduct this operation with maximum consideration for the convenience and needs of the Department of Defense and will be glad to discuss with you any changes which you may wish to recommend in the provisions of this letter.

Sincerely yours,

Henry F. Holland2

[Enclosure]

DRAFT RESOLUTION

The Council of the Organization of American States, Acting Provisionally as Organ of Consultation,

Taking into consideration the petition and the information which the Government of Costa Rica has just presented requesting military assistance, and

Considering that yesterday a Committee was appointed to conduct an on-the-spot investigation of the facts pertaining to the situation described by the Government of Costa Rica,

Resolves:

1.
To request the Chairman of the Council to communicate by cable with the Investigating Committee, requesting it to submit on an urgent basis as soon as it arrives in Costa Rica, a preliminary report on the situation existing in the territory of that Republic, in order to enable the Council to reach the decision which should be adopted in accordance with the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance.
2.
To request the American governments to take the necessary measures to prevent the use of their territories for any military action against the government of another state.
3.
To request the governments that are in a position to do so that they place at the disposal of the Investigating Committee aircraft to make, in the name of the latter and under its supervision, pacific observation flights over the regions affected by the present [Page 593] situation, with prior notification by the Chairman of the Council to the governments whose territories are traversed.

  1. Source: Department of State, Holland Files: Lot 57 D 295, Costa Rica. Confidential.↩
  2. Printed from a copy which bears this typed signature.↩