810.20 Defense/1262
The Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery) to
the Secretary of State
No. 5062
Rio de
Janeiro, July 25, 1941.
[Received August
7.]
Sir: I have the honor to repeat, as reported in
my telegram No. 926 of July 24, 5 p.m.,28 that the “Term of Agreement” to govern the
activities of the Brazilian-American Joint Group of Staff Officers was
signed yesterday by the Brazilian Minister of War and General Miller.
The only changes in the text as signed, copies of which are transmitted
herewith, from that forwarded with my despatch No. 5042 of July 22,
194128 were as
follows: first paragraph under I;
[Page 507]
paragraph 1 of III; paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of IV
and old paragraph 5 deleted with No. 6 renumbered 5.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure]
Term of Agreement
To govern the activities of the Brazilian-American Joint Group of
Staff Officers.
I. Preliminaries:
The creation of this Group results from the terms established in the
Bases of the Agreement for Cooperation between the United States and
Brazil, of October 29, 1940, and from the understanding expressed in
the exchange of correspondence on the subject between the Chief of
the General Staff of the Brazilian Army and the Chief of the United
States Military Mission. Among other points it should consider in
its plans the following stipulations:
- 1.
- Promise of Brazil to assist with all its forces and with
the means at its disposal, the common defense of the
American continent;
- 2.
- Promise of Brazil to construct air and naval bases and to
authorize their use for the other Pan-American
countries;
- 3.
- Promise of Brazil to organize the defense of its coast and
of the islands along its seacoast, as well as the ways and
means of communication of the country.
- 4.
- Promise of the United States to employ its armed forces to
assist Brazil in defense against attacks by armed forces of
non-American states.
- 5.
- Promise of the United States to assist Brazil in the
procurement of the armament and of all the material means
which it needs for the purposes in question, as well as the
furnishing of technicians which Brazil declares it
needs.
II. Organization:
- 1.
- The Joint Group will be constituted by General Staff officers
of the two countries, six from Brazil and five from the United
States, and will be presided over by the Chief of Staff of the
Army of the Country in which it is assembled, or by an officer
in his place, recommended by the Minister of War and designated
by the President of the Republic.
- 2.
- Its meeting place in Brazil will be this Capital, where it
will meet in the Ministry of War and where initially will be
determined, after approval by the Government, its work, studies
and plans and will be decided the reconnaissances judged
necessary.
- 3.
- All its work will be of strictly secret nature and its
conclusions will take the form of recommendations and
information, and only after approval by the two governments in
question, can they acquire the form of execution, through
ministerial orders and directives.
- 4.
- The expenses of all kinds corresponding to the member
representatives will be met and paid for by the respective
governments.
III. General Program of
Action.
The Group should accomplish the following general program of work:
- 1.
- Decide upon the land, coast and air defense requirements
of the Western Hemisphere particularly with reference to the
vital strategic area of Northeast Brazil, including:
- a.
- Determination of the part of the defense which
Brazil can undertake;
- b.
- Determination of the assistance to be received
from the United States, including its military
aviation.
- 2.
- Determination of the military defense works and
installations to be constructed and prepared in Brazil in
order that the defense may be efficiently accomplished and
also that there may be received the effective and ultimate
cooperation of the forces of the United States.
- 3.
- Planning for all the construction requirements of the
installations of the said defense and of the technical and
material assistance to be placed by the United States at the
disposal of Brazil in order that she may accomplish
it.
IV. Limitations.
In the accomplishment of its mission, the Joint Group must keep as
directives for guidance the following bases:
- 1.
- The employment of Brazilian forces should be planned
within the limits of the territory of Brazil (continental or
insular), whose total defense belongs to them within the
contingencies of action on the continent; however under
special conditions, after decision by the Brazilian
Government on the opportuneness, the locality, the period of
time and the need, they may be sent to other points on the
continent.
- 2.
- In case of a positive threat against any part of Brazilian
territory, and when she considers it appropriate, Brazil
will be able to request the assistance of forces of the
United States, at the points and for the time determined in
advance by Brazil.
- 3.
- The air and naval bases in the territory of Brazil will be
commanded and maintained by Brazilian forces and only on
request of its government may they be occupied also by
United States forces, as an element of reenforcement.
- 4.
- Such bases will be prepared by Brazil, with the technical
and material assistance of the United States, as determined
by the Joint Group, the cost of which will be subsequently
paid by Brazil, through legally drawn contracts.
- 5.
- Among the problems and questions to be taken up, the Joint
Group may study, as complimentary elements of defense, the
transport and communications requirements having in view the
concentration and supply in certain zones, and whose
solution the Group should recommend.
V. Conclusion.
All the reports of the Joint Group should be forwarded by its
President to the Ministers of War of the two countries for
information and consequent decisions.
This document, written in duplicate, and, by delegation of the
Governments of the United States of Brazil and of the United States
of America is signed respectively by the Minister of War of Brazil
and by the General Chief of the United States Military Mission in
Brazil.
-
General Eurico G. Dutra
- Brig. General Lehman W. Miller
Rio de
Janeiro, 24 of July,
1941.
