810.24/1–646

The Assistant Secretary of State ( Braden ) to the Acting Secretary of War ( Royall )

secret

My Dear Mr. Royall: The receipt is acknowledged of your letter of January 6, 1946, to Mr. Acheson concerning the furnishing of certain military aircraft to the other American republics.

In the foregoing connection I had the pleasure of discussing the so-called Adjusted Interim Latin American Aircraft Requirements Program with General of the Army Arnold and Major General Walsh on January 8. At this meeting it was agreed that the State Department approves the Interim Program as set forth on the attached sheet6 subject to the understanding that:

(1)
No airplanes will be made available for the present to Argentina, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua or Paraguay.
(2)
The furnishing of airplanes to the other thirteen American republics will be subject:
(a)
to the concurrence with respect to each country of the American Ambassador concerned, and
(b)
to the desires of each country, should it not wish to receive the full number approved by the American Ambassador for that country.

General Arnold also agreed that any “implied commitment” with regard to military airplanes resulting from the staff conversations will have been discharged by furnishing the aircraft comprising the Adjusted Interim Program, and that the United States is under no further obligation with respect to supplying additional military airplanes.

General Arnold agreed that a decision concerning supplying future aircraft should be made subsequent to policy decisions involving the extent and nature of military collaboration between this country and the other American republics.

Sincerely yours,

Spruille Braden
[Page 89]
[Enclosure]

Adjusted Interim Latin American Aircraft Requirements

Country PBY or OA–10 B–25 P–47 C–47 C–45 AT–11 AT–7 AT–6 BT’8 PT’8 C–43 or C–64 Total
Bolivia 9 9
Brazil 64 25 45 25 5 5
Chile 2 12 25 10 5 5 8 67
Colombia 2 8 25 3 2 5 2 15 62
Cuba 1 4 8 1 2 16
Dom. Republic
Ecuador 2 15 4 6 27
El Salvador 1 2 2 5
Guatemala 1 3 6 10 20
Haiti
Honduras 6 6
Mexico 16 25 8 5 5 59
Nicaragua
Panama 1 2 4
Paraguay
Peru 3 8 25 9 2 5 52
Uruguay 8 15 4 3 5 52
Venezuela 4 15 10 1 5 35
Total 10 124 178 104 44 [sic] 37 15 11 2 33 8 566
  1. See facing page.