810.20 Defense/7–1646
The British Embassy to the Department of State74
Aide-Mémoire
My Government have noted with sympathetic interest the proposals submitted to Congress for Inter-American Military Co-Operation, and particularly President Truman’s covering message of 7th May.75
- 2.
- In their desire to co-operate, as far as possible, in the
announced object of preventing a competition in the supply of arms
and equipment to Latin America, they would greatly appreciate it if
they could receive, in confidence, such detailed information as may
be agreeable to your Government with regard to:
- a)
- the proposals for furnishing, or exchanging, standard United States equipment against existing non-standard armaments in Latin America;
- b)
- the percentage of Latin American forces which it is proposed to equip and train under the Hemisphere Defence proposals now before Congress.
- 3.
- It will be remembered that British equipment and training have long been predominant in several of the Latin American Navies: a matter of importance from the point of view of maintaining the traditionally friendly relations which have always existed between Britain and the countries concerned.
- 4.
- As this satisfactory state of affairs is believed to be of common advantage in furthering Anglo-American policy in Latin America, my Government would be glad to know whether they are correct in their belief that the Hemisphere Defence Forces whose equipment and training it is proposed to standardise represent about twenty-five per cent. of the total armed forces of each Latin American country concerned?
- 5.
- If this, or some other, percentage is envisaged, my Government would propose to supply at least a part of the remainder; especially to the Latin American countries referred to above. The manifest advantages [Page 279] of their so doing are apparent inasmuch as arms, equipment, or training thus supplied to Latin America can be controlled and kept under observation. The alternative—as was recently indicated in Buenos Aires—might well be the supply of arms from other European sources including Soviet Russia, Czechoslovakia and Sweden.
- 6.
- In these circumstances my Government would be grateful to learn whether Argentina is, or is likely to be, included amongst the countries who, under the terms of the Inter-American Military Cooperation Act, would be furnished with a percentage of standardised United States equipment? If so, the sale of United States armaments to Argentina would naturally release my Government from the “Gentlemen’s Agreement” relating to that country; under which British arms, munitions of war, or other goods particularly adapted for warlike uses have steadily been denied—especially to the Argentine Navy and Air Force. The arguments presented in paragraph five above apply with particular force to the Argentine Navy in view of the importance of perpetuating its traditional sympathy, which was of considerable value to the cause of the United Nations in wartime; in marked contrast to the attitude of the Argentine Army, whose German training and armament have reaped results well known to both Governments. For this reason especially my Government are desirous of resuming supplies to Argentina of the above-mentioned character; without, at the same time, conflicting with the United States plans under review.
- 7.
- In the particular conditions obtaining in Santo Domingo, my Government would also be glad to consult with the United States Government regarding requests for certain minor items of armament for which applications have been received.
- 8.
- In short, while retaining their liberty of action in a matter of great and many-sided importance to Great Britain, my Government are anxious to co-ordinate their policy with that of the United States Government as regards the rearmament and equipment of Latin America. The arrangements herein discussed must, it is recognized, be of a provisional character; pending conclusion of definite international arrangements with regard to traffic in arms.
Washington, 16 July,
1946.