711.00111 Armament Control/9–644
Memorandum by the Department of State Policy Committee
[Extract]
ARA–15
[Washington,] September 6, 1944.
Control of Arms Traffic to Other American Republics
the problem
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
recommendations
It is recommended:
- (1)
- That the present system of control over exports of arms manufactured in the United States be reviewed and such steps be taken urgently as may be necessary to make thoroughly effective the Department’s authority to control the sale of arms and to extend the Department’s authority and control over the furnishing of arms by this Government through Lend-Lease, gift, or any other process to the other American republics except for arms to be used in active participation in the present war.
- (In this connection it is to be noted that on August 17 the Secretary, in letters to the Secretaries of War and Navy, expressed the view that under present strategic conditions considerations of foreign policy should prevail in the allocation of munitions of war to other American republics, except for those intended for use in direct participation in the war. A copy of one of these letters was subsequently sent to the President.25 The letters are now being studied by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.)
- (2)
- That steps be taken at once to formulate the Department’s policy for world-wide control of munitions traffic which will meet the problems outlined with respect to the other American republics during the interim period and subsequently thereto. It is emphasized that although the problem has a particular urgency with respect to the American republics, it is essentially world-wide in character and requires the early conclusion of agreements with other nations for the control of munitions traffic from sources outside the United States.
- According to a memorandum by the Department of State Policy Committee dated October 14, 1944, the President approved of the Department’s position (711.00111 Armament Control/10–1444).↩