Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The American Republics, Volume IV

720.5 MSP/7–2252: Circular airgram

The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Offices in the American Republics ¹

secret

Washington, July 22, 1952.

The Department of Defense has recommended that a share of the funds appropriated for the FY 1952 grant-aid military assistance program for Latin America be used to assist Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru in strengthening existing naval training centers or in establishing new centers. Under the plan outlined by the Department of Defense, each of these centers would provide instruction in the use of U.S. naval equipment. Instructors would be supplied by local naval authorities, who would be expected to appoint personnel which had received training in U.S. Navy schools in the United States.

The U.S. contribution to such training centers would consist primarily of initial equipment, such as training aids, and of guidance which U.S. naval training missions and mobile training teams from the United States would provide local naval authorities in establishing the centers. After the training centers had been established, it would be expected that they would continue in operation on a permanent and locally-sustained basis. The type of training provided by each center would be more or less specialized, depending on the training requirements of the particular country and its capability for making available specialized instructors. For example, the Department of Defense has recommended the following types of training for each of the designated countries: Brazil, engineering, basic electronics; Chile, gunnery and fire control, basic electronics, information training; Colombia, engineering, gunnery, damage control; Peru, anti-submarine warfare, submarine attack, basic electronics.

The Department is informed that, in addition to utilization of such centers for the training of naval personnel of the host countries, the Department of the Navy contemplates that they might also be used, with the consent of the governments concerned, to train naval personnel of other Latin American countries. It is their view that such utilization would encourage Latin American countries to assume a greater share of responsibility for training for hemisphere defense, would promote cooperation among Latin American naval establishments, and would help to overcome the language barrier confronting most Latin American students receiving such training in the United States. The Department has been assured, however, that the provisions of U.S. assistance to the training centers mentioned above would not be contingent upon the prior agreement of the government in which the center exists or is established to provide such training to naval personnel of other countries. While the basis of U.S. assistance in the improvement or establishment of training centers will be arranged through the MAAG, any arrangements for training of foreign students in these centers would be matters for the Governments concerned to work out, and U.S. action would be confined to suggestion and advice. On the basis of informal discussions between U.S. Naval officers and representatives of the Navies of the respective countries, however, the Naval Department believes that suggestions which might be made to this effect would be favorably received.

The Department of Defense is providing the MAAG in each country with more detailed information regarding the naval training program. It is suggested that the Embassy discuss the project with the appropriate MAAG personnel and provide the Department with comments, particularly with reference to that portion of the plan which contemplates the utilization of centers for the training of naval personnel of countries other than that in which the center is located.

Acheson

1. Sent to Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Bogotá, and Lima; repeated for information to Habana, Quito, and Montevideo.

   Drafted by Mr. Jamison and George O. Spencer of the Office of Regional American Affairs; cleared with the Office of the Special Assistant to the Secretary for Mutual Security Affairs, the Offices of South American Affairs and Middle American Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Navy.