723.5–MSP/12–1751
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Robert J. Dorr of the Office of South American Affairs
Subject: Military Grant Aid Program1
| Participants: | Sr. Germán Aramburú, Minister-Counselor, Embassy of Peru |
| OSA—Mr. Bernbaum | |
| OSA—Mr. Dorr |
At the request of Mr. Bernbaum, Minister Aramburú called this morning and was advised confidentially that Peru had been designated [Page 1609] as one of the countries to obtain military grant aid under the Mutual Security Act of 1951. Mr. Bernbaum stated that our Embassy in Lima had been instructed to inquire of the Peruvian Government whether it would be interested in receiving military grant aid and willing to enter preliminary discussions towards that end. Mr. Bernbaum pointed out that while this matter would be handled through our Embassy in Lima, the Department wished to keep the Peruvian Embassy here informed of this matter. Stress was also made of the fact that the negotiations and the designation of countries was a secret matter until such time as military representatives might be sent to participating countries and some joint announcement of their activities is made.
Minister Aramburú expressed his thanks for the information given him and said that it would be brought to the attention of Ambassador Berckemeyer.
- In telegram 314, from Lima, December 19, 1951, not printed, Ambassador Tittmann informed the Department of State that President Odría had orally approved the initiation of conversations looking toward the conclusion of a bilateral military assistance agreement (723.5–MSP/12–1951); a confirmatory note from the Peruvian Government, dated December 19, not printed, was subsequently received by the Embassy (723.5-MSP/12–2251). The negotiations were scheduled to begin on January 7, 1952.↩