823.248/8–744: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Peru ( White )
833. Rear Admiral Spears, backed by Colonel Rogers, chief of the Naval Air Mission who is now in Washington, is strongly supporting here a request from Peru for twelve SBD dive bombers. The Department, which for policy reasons opposes the assignment of any further combat aircraft to other American republics except Brazil and Mexico, and is particularly concerned as to the effect in Ecuador and Colombia of assigning such aircraft to Peru, believes these planes should not be allocated.
Spears contends that failure to assign these aircraft would have adverse effect on our relations with Peru and specifically on the work of the Naval Air Mission. He also maintains that this Government is virtually committed to the assignment, and in this connection cites the joint defense agreement of 1942 and especially an understanding he says was reached last fall when it was decided to withdraw U.S. planes from Talara, that the U.S. would furnish the Peruvian air force with the equipment necessary to carry on patrol work.
Please telegraph to Department only, without consulting the Naval Air Mission or your Military and Naval Attachés, whether to your knowledge and in your view this Government is committed to allocate these planes and what effect failure to allocate them would have on your relations with Perú.