810.34 Leasing/69b: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to All Diplomatic Missions in the American Republics Except Brazil
The Department is issuing this afternoon for release in tomorrow morning’s papers the text of a joint statement to be made by the Governments [Page 163] of Brazil and of the United States. The following is the text of the release:19
“For many years past several governments of the American Republics have permitted officers from other American countries to receive instruction and training in their military or naval establishments. This form of reciprocal assistance became generalized long ago, and is today incorporated in the policy of cooperation between all of the American nations. The policy and principle involved in the proposal of the Government of the United States to lease at nominal cost to all other American nations alike destroyers already out of commission solely for training purposes are identical. Naturally speculation as to possible interpretations and abuses that could arise can be applicable to any law, principle, policy of government, or international practice.
When the United States was first advised by the Government of Brazil of its desire to secure temporarily certain destroyers of the United States already out of commission for training purposes both Governments were in entire accord that in order to avoid all possible misapprehension the vessels which might be leased should in no event be employed for combat and should be returned to the United States if at any time the continued use of such vessels by Brazil should prove to be in contravention of the international obligations of either Government. The two Governments were of the opinion after very full consideration that the proposal of the United States would be in entire harmony with its policy, welcomed in many previous instances by the governments of other American Republics, of lending its officers to them for instruction purposes or of receiving their officers for training in the naval vessels of the United States in American waters. The proposal envisaged, of course, merely the offer of a neighborly service to such of the other American nations as might desire it and in this way to promote understanding, friendliness, and mutually beneficial relationships between all of the American nations.
The Governments of Brazil and of the United States consider that they have played their full part in supporting the principles of the good neighbor policy since it was initiated and that they have shared in its development and in its increasingly widespread application, and therefore the two Governments feel all the more concerned for the safeguarding and further expansion of this relationship between the American Republics. To that end, while conscious of the absolute soundness of their position in the proposal above referred to, and of the harmony of that proposal with the essential features of the good neighbor policy as universally recognized, they have nevertheless no disposition to encourage international controversy relative to some entirely minor and temporary phase of that policy. At this critical moment in international relationships in other parts of the world, they consider that all governments should bend every effort towards the avoidance of the arousing of any form of dispute and should concentrate upon the creation of the foundations indispensable to the existence of world peace. The larger and all-important objectives of the recent Conference for the Maintenance of Peace at Buenos Aires should be uppermost in the minds of all of the American Governments [Page 164] and statesmen, and they should not permit themselves to be drawn into discussions about details or proposals of temporary application, no matter how beneficial they believe them to be.
The Governments of Brazil and of the United States are not disposed to enter into any controversy with respect to the pending proposal, nor to modify their understanding with regard to it, and their only regret is that a question of such limited importance should even for a few days be allowed to divert attention from the high ideals and the broad program which the good neighbor policy comprises.
The efforts of the two Governments in behalf of peace among the Americas and in behalf of world peace should be more than sufficient to make it clear to all other countries that they would deprecate the initiation or the pursuance of any policy which could legitimately be considered by the nations of the continent as in any way detrimental to the cause of inter-American friendship and understanding.”
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