810.20 Defense/12–744

Memorandum by the Acting Director, Office of American Republic Affairs (Armour), to the Secretary of State

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.

Norman Armour
[Page 130]
[Annex]

Statement of Procedure in the Conduct of Bilateral Military Staff Conversations in Latin America56

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.
  1. Not printed.
  2. This statement was approved by the War and Navy Departments, and was transmitted with a circular of January 10, 1945, to certain American diplomatic missions for their guidance, and to others on January 16.