756B. 5/4–2953
Briefing Paper Prepared in the Department of State 1
Problem:
To draw up set of principles to guide US-Dutch military talks on joint defense of Caribbean.
[Page 148]Background:
In 1948 the U.S. indicated its desire to have the U.S. Commander in Chief Caribbean begin talks with his Netherlands opposite number with a view to concluding joint defense arrangements. Such talks commenced, but were broken off late in 1951 as it was apparent that the Dutch then wanted the initial talks at the Government level. Since then, there have been numerous exchanges of notes with the aim of drawing up a set of agreed principles to guide the two field commanders in working out the details.
The two governments have reached agreement that the only non-Netherlands forces to be stationed in the Netherlands West Indies will be U.S. forces and only with the consent of the Netherlands.
The latest note from the Dutch (October 3)3 indicates that they wish to be responsible for not only local defense but also for the defense of a subarea of the Caribbean. This proposed subarea would include the sea approaches to the Netherlands Antilles and be contiguous to Venezuela and Colombia. The Dutch also proposed that U.S. forces stationed on the islands be under the command of an Antilles subarea commander of Dutch nationality.
The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff have rejected these proposals and have prepared a new set of proposals.4 These proposals envisaged a U.S. commander as being responsible for the protection of sea communications, and a Netherlands commander as being responsible for local defense. A new proposal on our part is that in time of war U.S. forces stationed on the Islands for local defense, at Dutch invitiation, will initially come under the command of a Dutch officer responsible to the U.S. Commander in Chief Caribbean. If U.S. forces be needed in such numbers as to change the relative strength of the two national forces the nationality of the local commander will be subject to review.
Recommendations:
When handing the Ambassador5 the Department’s note,6 it is suggested that you say that the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff have carefully studied the Embassy’s note of October 3, 1952, and while they find that [Page 149] they are unable to accept the subarea idea they have tried to meet the suggestions of the Netherlands Government with certain modifications which we hope will be acceptable. You may say that we believe proposed subarea would not only not provide sufficient flexibility necessary for naval operations, but being so close to Venezuela and Colombia might raise political difficulties with those two countries. In this connection, you might mention that our two governments have agreed that, in the event of emergency, the only non-Netherlands forces to be stationed in the Antilles will be U.S. forces.
While we agree that a Dutch officer should be in command of local defense in time of war we believe that the nationality of that commander should be subject to review if U.S. forces are needed in such numbers so as to change substantially the relative strength of the two forces.7
- Prepared for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs James C. H. Bonbright. Drafted by Keld Christensen of the Office of Western European Affairs; cleared with the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs, the Office of Regional American Affairs, and the Department of Defense.↩
- The source text bears no indication of a drafting date; the date supplied is that of the covering memorandum, not printed.↩
- Reference is to an aide-mémoire from the Netherlands Embassy, dated Oct. 3, 1952, hand-delivered to the Department of State on Oct. 4, not printed. (756B.5/10–352)↩
- These proposals are contained in an undated paper, titled “Proposed Guidance for the Military Discussions Between the United States Commander in Chief, Caribbean, (CINCARIB) and the Netherlands Antilles Military Authorities,” and appended to a letter from Secretary of Defense Wilson to Secretary Dulles, dated Apr. 8, 1953, not printed. (756B.5/4–853)↩
- Dr. Jan Herman van Roijen, Netherlands Ambassador to the United States.↩
- Reference is to the aide-mémoire, dated May 8, 1953, which Mr. Bonbright handed to Ambassador van Roijen at the Department of State on May 12. The aide-mémoire contained, inter alia, a restatement of principles, based on Secretary of Defense Wilson’s letter of Apr. 8 to Secretary Dulles, to guide discussion between United States and Netherlands military authorities concerning defense of the Caribbean area. (756B.5/5–853)↩
- On June 9, 1954, in response to the Department of State’s aide-mémoire of May 8, 1953, the Netherlands Government proposed that oral discussions between United States and Dutch military authorities be initiated at Washington in order to formulate command relationships and to define defense tasks for the Caribbean area (Netherlands Embassy aide-mémoire, dated June 9, 1954, 756B.5/6–954). In an aide-mémoire, dated Sept. 14, 1954, the Department expressed agreement with the general idea, but indicated that it preferred to have the proposed discussions take place at Caribbean Command Headquarters, Quarry Heights, Canal Zone. (756B.5/6–954) On Oct. 7, 1954, the Netherlands Government informed the Department that it was prepared to open discussions in the Canal Zone on Nov. 9. (Netherlands Embassy aide-mémoire, dated Oct. 7, 1954, 756B.5/10–754)↩