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Summary of Action of the 184th Meeting of the Secretary of State’s Staff Committee, Department of State, Washington, February 5, 1946, 9:35 a.m.

Washington, February 5, 1946, 9:35 a.m.
secret
SC/R–184
Present: Absent:
The Secretary (presiding) The Counselor
The Under Secretary Messrs. Hackworth
Messrs. Benton Pasvolsky
Braden
Clayton
McCormack
Russell
Henderson53 } (for Mr. Dunn)
Matthews54
Vincent55
Culbertson56 (WE)
Jamison57
Lewis

Policy of the Department Regarding Disposal to Foreign Governments of Military-Type Surplus Equipment58

The Under Secretary requested the Committee’s agreement to the following policy regarding disposal to foreign governments of military-type surplus equipment:

That no disposals of military-type surplus equipment should be made to arm other nations, except for (a) the transfer en bloc of military equipment left in England; (b) the program for equipping the French Army to a reasonable extent; (c) completion of the program for China begun during the war; (d) equipping Philippine forces and (e) fulfilling commitments made in the interim program for the other American republics.59

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agreed that an effort should be made to have all identifying U.S. markings removed (so far as possible) from equipment transferred to other governments.

approved the policy as outlined by the Under Secretary.

[Here follows discussion of another matter.]

  1. Loy W. Henderson, Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs.↩
  2. H. Freeman Matthews, Director of the Office of European Affairs.↩
  3. John Carter Vincent, Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs.↩
  4. Paul T. Culbertson, Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs.↩
  5. Edward A. Jamison, Chief of the Policy Analysis and Reference Section of the Central Secretariat.↩
  6. For documentation on United States policy with respect to the liquidation of Lend-Lease and the provision of military supplies to individual nations or to nations in particular areas of the world, see the appropriate bilateral and regional compilations elsewhere in the Foreign Relations series.↩

  7. At its 187th Meeting, February 21, the Committee:

    “agreed that the statement of policy regarding disposal to foreign governments of military-type surplus equipment, approved by the Committee on February 5, 1946 (SC/R–184), should be amended by adding the following additional exception to the general policy that no disposals should be made to arm other nations:

    ‘(f) transfers to Canada when consistent with the program for joint defense.’”

    ↩