810.24/8–444
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: The attached memorandum from Mr. McGurk (ARA),16 backed up by a recent despatch from Ellis Briggs,17 and indeed by everyone thus far consulted in the Department, relates to the difficult problem of allocation of arms to Latin America. This will become increasingly difficult since surplus arms are readily available now and are becoming more so as time goes on.
Messrs. McGurk and Johnson18 suggest that one officer in the Department be assigned to the work of making sure that all requests for material for the armed forces of the other American republics are properly cleared. This would include assignments made by way of Lend-Lease and sales of arms whether out of United States surplus stores or otherwise for cash.
I should like to endorse this suggestion most heartily; and add to it the suggestion that a similar officer be appointed to control such sales of arms to European countries as well. Presumably the officer covering the American republics would be appointed by the Office of American Republic Affairs; the officer covering European assignments would be appointed by the Office of European Affairs.
In this connection, I should like to note that the bitterest criticisms of the State Department in President Wilson’s time arose out of the fact that uncontrolled sales of arms were made indiscriminately in the period immediately following the close of European hostilities in 1919. The United States found itself in the position of arming both sides in at least one civil war which the State Department was attempting to bring to an end. General Tasker Bliss19 wrote the President that this situation was a disgrace to the honor of the United States.
It seems, therefore, that the suggestion made by Messrs. McGurk and Johnson, resulting out of our difficulties in Peru and from the suggestions made by Ellis Briggs of the Dominican Republic, is a prudent and timely step which can be taken now, and which will avoid very considerable difficulties and criticisms in the future.