810.20 Defense/12–744
Memorandum by the Acting Director, Office of American
Republic Affairs (Armour), to the Secretary of State
[Washington,] December 7, 1944.
The Secretary: In accordance with the decision
at the meeting in Secretary Stimson’s office on November 28, a group of
representatives of the State, War and Navy Departments met in Mr.
Bundy’s office on December 1. A copy of the memorandum of conversation
is attached.55
At that meeting it was agreed that we in the Department would consider a
memorandum prepared by Colonel Edwards and submit any changes the
Department might have to suggest.
There is attached a statement which I believe will be accepted by the
Secretary of War and which should be accepted by the Secretary of the
Navy. It is proposed that this statement be sent by all three
Departments to their representatives in the field and form the basis for
the relationships between those representatives.
I call your attention particularly to the statement with respect to the
responsibility of this Department in the field of foreign relations
which appears in paragraph 1 and to paragraphs 2 (c) and 2 (e) in which certain definite
rights and powers are reserved to the ambassador. If satisfactory to
you, I shall present copies of this statement to Mr. Bundy for the War
and Navy Departments and endeavor to obtain their agreement to it.
[Page 130]
[Annex]
Statement of Procedure in the Conduct of Bilateral
Military Staff Conversations in Latin America56
[Washington,] December 7, 1944.
- 1.
- The military and naval staff conversations which are to be
held with the other American republics involve both the foreign
relations of the United States, which are under the President,
the responsibility of the Department of State and its
representatives abroad, and the military security of the United
States, which is, under the President, the responsibility of the
War and Navy Departments.
- 2.
- The State, War and Navy Departments have accordingly agreed to
the following principles which will govern relationships between
Department of State representatives and representatives of the
War and Navy Departments in the conduct of these staff
conversations with other American republics:
-
a.
- All preliminary arrangements for military staff
conversations will be made through diplomatic
channels.
-
b.
- The United States Ambassador will be the adviser on
all protocol arrangements, make the necessary
introductions to the foreign representatives designated
to conduct these conversations, attend the opening and
closing plenary sessions, and, if he deems it advisable,
attend or be represented at other general
meetings.
-
c.
- Throughout these military staff conversations the
Ambassador will be kept fully advised of the progress of
all conversations, and although he will have a right to
be present at any meeting if he thinks this necessary,
it is not contemplated that the Ambassador will find it
advisable to be present at conversations of a technical,
military and exploratory nature.
-
d.
- The Ambassador will have general guidance of the
conversations on all political matters.
-
e.
- The Ambassador will have the power to veto or
terminate any part of the conversations which he
considers would have injurious political results,
subject to review by the State, War and Navy Departments
in Washington.
-
f.
- The Ambassador will not have power to give directions
to military or naval representatives as to technical
military or naval matters.
-
g.
- In case the Ambassador and the military or naval
representatives disagree as to the conduct of the
conversations and the question arises whether military
(naval) or political matters are involved, the
disagreement will be referred to the appropriate
departments in Washington for decision.
