800.24/5–346
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Navy (Forrestal)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: Reference is made to your letter of May 3, 1946, and to the Secretary of State’s reply of June 6, 1946,22 concerning naval equipment which it is desired to sell to certain other American republics under the terms of the Surplus Property Act.
Since this correspondence the Navy Department has sent to the Department of State for approval lists, by countries, of equipment falling within the categories outlined in your letter of May 3. These [Page 98] lists have been reviewed by representatives of the State and Navy Department, and it is understood that the lists received to date cover the scope of the Navy’s interim program for naval equipment.
On the basis of the discussions between representatives of our two departments, the Department of State is glad to approve the Navy’s interim program of equipment for the naval establishments of other American republics as follows:
- (1)
- The list of weapons which is attached hereto23 and is taken from the individual country lists referred to above.
- (2)
- One year’s training allocation of ammunition for the weapons mentioned above, and the same for any other weapons of American calibre now possessed by the navies of other American republics.
- (3)
- Such additional equipment other than arms, ammunition and implements of war as may be requested by the representatives of the other American republics, which will be limited to the purpose of repairing and maintaining the existing naval forces without any appreciable increases in the naval strength of the individual countries.
The above program is subject to certain exceptions at the present time: it is requested that no equipment be offered for the present by the Navy Department to the Governments of Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Furthermore, as requested in the Secretary of State’s letter of June 6, it is requested that no naval material be made available to Cuba until the Cuban Government makes a payment on its Lend-Lease account.
A copy of this letter is being sent to the Field Commissioner for Military Programs, Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner, for his information and guidance.24
Sincerely yours,
- Neither printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- In a letter of April 18, 1946, the Secretary of State had delegated authority to the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner to dispose of surplus military property in the United States to other American Governments, and, in turn, the Commissioner had delegated such authority to Maj. Gen. Ralph H. Wooten and had designated him as Meld Commissioner for Military Programs (810.24/4–2446).↩