120.313/7–2545
The Chief of the Division of Philippine Affairs (Lockhart) to the Philippine Resident Commissioner in the United States (Romulo)
My Dear General Romulo: I have your memorandum of July 25, 194521 requesting the advice of the State Department on the matter of initiating a Foreign Service Training Program for the Philippines and am pleased to inform you that the Department is now in a position to answer some, but not all, of the questions which you have posed. Additional information will be supplied you as the project develops.
It is the opinion of the Department that steps should be taken as soon as possible to formulate a program for the training of personnel for the Philippine Foreign Service. The Department is in a position to extend its facilities initially to approximately fifteen Filipino trainees. It is impossible to say exactly at this time just how long the training period will be although it is expected that it will run for approximately three or four months, including training in the Department and in the field.
It has been suggested that the activities of the Filipino trainees might be centered in the Division of Philippine Affairs of the State Department. The officers of this Division would be responsible for the day-to-day direction of the work of the trainees. Various other specialists of the Department, namely, commercial, legal and others, would be called in from time to time to lecture and instruct the trainees and to answer their questions. Certain of the trainees might also be assigned to divisions or sections of the Department for specified periods. At times the trainees would attend sessions of the Foreign Service Officers’ Training School. The proposed program of studies and work is yet to be prepared, but, generally speaking, would include preparation in such fields as passport and immigration work, registration of births and marriages, certification of invoices of goods, preparation of economic and political reports, organization of protective services, drafting and negotiation of treaties, international organization and other subjects. It is expected that the training given to the Philippine personnel will parallel that given to our own foreign service officers in preparation for their first assignment to the field.
It would be expected that the Commonwealth Government, or the new independent government, would defray all expenses for salaries [Page 1238] of the trainees, and all their travel and per diem expenses and allowances.
In order to assist in the planning for the creation of a Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Service, the Department is prepared, on the request of the Commonwealth Government, to recommend a list of qualified Americans from which an adviser or advisers might be selected.
Appropriate officers of the Department are prepared to undertake further discussions with you, or your designated representative, at your convenience, on the general subject of the Philippine Foreign Service and on the matter of developing details and final plans for the establishment of a Philippine foreign service trainee program.
Sincerely yours,
- Not printed.↩