810.34 Leasing/3a

The Secretary of State to Senator Key Pittman 1

My Dear Senator Pittman: During the last four and one-half years the Administration has been making a determined effort to place the relations of the United States with the other American Republics on a solid basis of friendship, mutual respect and fruitful cooperation. The result of this effort has been extremely gratifying. The American Republics which heretofore have viewed the United States with suspicion and even distrust today hold the United States as a friend and real neighbor, sensitive to their rights and interests and desirous of cooperating with them to the fullest measure.

Indicative of this growing friendship, which is one of the most heartening developments in our foreign relations, have been the numerous requests for friendly assistance which have been received from the American Republics. We have been requested to loan the services of technical experts or to give technical advice regarding a wide range of subjects, such as highway construction, education, agriculture, government finance, sanitation, aviation, et cetera, and whenever appropriate we have been glad to comply with these requests. In the present letter I should like to present you with information regarding a somewhat different type of request and to lay before you the views of the President and bespeak for them your interest and cooperation.

Recently the Government of Brazil has informed this Government of its increasing concern with certain tendencies of the world political situation. The desire on the part of some nations for access to raw materials, and the forceful action taken by those nations to consummate these desires, has made Brazil, a country of vast territory and relatively small population, particularly apprehensive. The Government, therefore, has thought it the part of prudence to improve its relatively modest national defense, but being deficient in trained military or naval personnel and equipment, it finds its task a considerable one.

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With respect to naval defense, the Brazilian Government is constructing certain vessels and purchasing others abroad. Upon the construction or delivery of these vessels, the Government will be the possessor of what it considers to be necessary naval material, but, unless steps are taken meanwhile, there will be a dearth of trained personnel to operate its ships. In order to remedy this deficiency the Government of Brazil has inquired whether the Government of the United States would be disposed to lease six of its decommissioned destroyers until its own vessels are ready.

This request of the Government of Brazil has had the very careful consideration of the President, of the Navy Department and of this Department. The President believes, and his views are shared by the two executive departments concerned, that there are two weighty reasons which commend the proposal. In the first place, if the governments of the other countries of this hemisphere find it necessary to turn to foreign governments for assistance in a matter of this character, it would be preferable, for obvious reasons, that such assistance be extended by the United States rather than by some other foreign government. Secondly, it would appear to be in the interest of this country were its over-age vessels now decommissioned because of the expense involved to be kept in running order and available for instant use, which would be the case if they were leased under the proper terms and conditions to other countries of this hemisphere. These over-age vessels are being retained by the Navy Department at the present time only because of their value in case of an emergency, but their value is greatly lessened because it requires approximately two months working at top speed twenty-four hours a day properly to recommission vessels which have been retired from active service. For these principal reasons, the President is disposed to consider favorably the Brazilian request, it being understood, of course, that no such equipment would be loaned by this Government except when the public interests rendered such a course advisable, and when the equipment in question could be spared without any impairment of the defense requirements of the United States.

In order that this Government may be in a position to take such action as that indicated above, the President has requested me to submit for the consideration and study of your Committee a draft resolution which will authorize him under certain conditions to loan destroyers to the American Republics. You will observe that such action would be predicated upon the application of the foreign government concerned, and would be authorized whenever, in the discretion of the President, the public interests rendered such a course advisable. In Section 2 of the draft resolution it is provided that there shall be received as consideration for the lease of such vessels an amount equivalent to the total cost of marine insurance on the vessels for the entire [Page 151] period of the lease. It is understood, of course, that this Government would not proceed to make available any of its naval vessels to Brazil without making a similar offer to the other countries of this hemisphere.

At the President’s direction, I am addressing similar letters to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Senate Committee on Naval Affairs and the House Committee on Naval Affairs. The President would appreciate your conferring with the Chairman of these other Committees, and if you concur in his views to arrange for immediate consideration by the Congress of the attached resolution, which it is hoped may be adopted at this session of Congress.

Sincerely yours,

Cordell Hull
[Enclosure]

Draft of Joint Resolution

A Joint Resolution

Authorizing the President To Lease Destroyers to the American Republics

Resolved, That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby authorized, upon application from the foreign governments concerned, and whenever in his discretion the public interests render such a course advisable, to lease destroyers to the governments of the American republics under such terms and conditions as he may prescribe.

Sec. 2. As consideration for such lease the United States shall be paid an amount equivalent to the total cost of marine insurance on the vessels involved for the entire period of the lease, which amount shall not be covered into the Treasury of the United States but shall under the direction of the President of the United States be expended for the purpose of obtaining such insurance.

  1. Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.