Political, economic, and military relations of the United States and Peru 1

1. For previous documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. IV, pp. 1491 ff.


509. Memorandum on the Substance of Discussions at a Department of State-Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting, the Pentagon, February 25, 1955, 11:30 a.m.

Source: Department of State, State–JCS Meetings: Lot 61 D 417. Top Secret. A cover sheet bears the following notation: “State Draft. Not cleared with any of participants.”


510. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, March 10, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.236/3–1055. Confidential. Drafted by McGinnis.


511. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Hensel)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5621/3–2255. Confidential. Drafted by McGinnis and Jamison. Cleared in the Office of the Special Assistant for Mutual Security Affairs, the Office of Regional American Affairs, and the Investment and Economic Development Staff.


513. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 8, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5621/4-855. Secret. Drafted by Jamison and approved by Holland.


515. Letter From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Anderson) to the Under Secretary of State (Hoover)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5621/5–1055. Confidential.


516. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, May 13, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5621/5–1355. Confidential. Drafted by Jamison.


517. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Hensel)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5621/4–1355. Secret. Drafted by Jamison and cleared by S/MSA, OSA, and e. On May 17 a copy was transmitted to Samuel C. Waugh, attached to a memorandum from Jack C. Corbett. The final paragraph of Corbett’s memorandum read: “Although the NAC question did not come up specifically in connection with the Peruvian submarines, the phrase was in the Defense Department’s letter and Mr. Jamison thought it would be useful to include it in our letter. I see no harm in requiring the Defense Department to submit the terms of the contract to the NAC, although customarily the NAC does not consider loan contracts. However, it will increase our information about this operation somewhat and it may produce some useful discussions in the NAC in connection with military credits in general.” (Ibid., 723.5621/5–1755)


518. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 13, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5621/6–1355. Confidential. Drafted by McGinnis.


519. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 15, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.022/6–1555. Confidential. Drafted by McGinnis.


520. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, July 11, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5622/7–1155. Confidential. Drafted by McGinnis.


521. Letter From the Ambassador in Brazil (Briggs) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland)

Source: Department of State, Holland Files: Lot 57 D 295, Peru. Confidential; Official–Informal.


523. Letter From the Acting Secretary of State to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Gray)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.56/9–355. Secret. Drafted by Spencer on August 30. Transmitted to Hoover as an attachment to a memorandum from Holland, dated August 30, also drafted by Spencer. The Holland memorandum dealt with the problem of selling more arms to Peru on credit while that country was engaged in a serious boundary dispute with Ecuador. In the memorandum, Holland recommended that Hoover sign the letter to Defense and also request Defense’s comment on an attached note to the Peruvian Government. The proposed note to Peru explained that the United States was unable to offer additional credit for the purchase of military equipment because a relatively large share of the limited amount of credit available for the American Republics had already been used to finance military equipment for Peru. Peru could, however, purchase military equipment for cash, subject to the availability of the equipment requested. (Ibid., 723.56/8–3055)

According to a handwritten note at the end of the source text, it was delivered to the Department of Defense on September 3.


524. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security (Gray) to the Acting Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.56/9–2355. Secret.


525. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Gray)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.56/9–2355. Secret. Originially drafted by Sayre on October 14. At that time it consisted of four paragraphs. The third paragraph, omitted in the final text, reads: “While I recognize the importance of having Latin American governments procure their military equipment from the United States, I believe you would agree that our arms standardization policy must be considered along with other policies. You are probably aware of the political difficulties that the credit already granted Peru has created in our relations with other Latin American countries, especially Ecuador, and with Peru itself because we have been unable to provide comparable credit to the Army and Air Force of Peru. It is partly because of these political difficulties that the Department of State considered it inadvisable to grant further credit to Peru. I would not consider furtherance of the standardization policy alone as sufficient justification for modifying that view.”

The original draft was cleared in AR, OSA, and U/MSA; and transmitted to Holland with a memorandum, dated October 18, from Robert Folsom. Folsom’s memorandum suggested that since Hoover had participated in previous discussions on the submarines, Holland might want to discuss the proposed reply with him before signing it. A memorandum to Holland from Cecil Lyon, dated October 19, recommended the omission of the original third paragraph. Lyon said he thought that civilians rendered themselves vulnerable when, after the principle of standardization had been adopted, they tried to evaluate when standardization was or was not desirable. A handwritten note at the end of Lyon’s memorandum, presumably by Holland, directed it to Folsom with the following comment, “I would omit 3rd ¶, sign & clear across Hoover’s desk.”

A memorandum from Folsom to Holland, also dated October 19, informed him that the letter to Gray had been redrafted on that day by Sayre, as Holland had suggested, and was attached. It had been cleared in AR, OSA, U/MSA, G, and U. Folsom stated that the third paragraph had been inserted in the first place because Defense had originally justified the submarines on the basis of hemisphere defense, and it was felt that the letter from Defense “provided an opportunity to point up our desire that military assistance to Latin America be based on a consistent policy and something sounder than standardization. While the second paragraph touches on this point, it was thought it might be useful at this time to make our position clear.” (Ibid.)


526. Memorandum From Edgar L. McGinnis, Jr., of the Office of South American Affairs to the Director of the Office (Bernbaum)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.15–HO/12–1955. Confidential. Copies were sent to Samuel Waugh, Atwood, Corbett, and Charles R. Harley of the Department of the Treasury.


528. Telegram From the Director of the International Cooperation Administration (Hollister) to the Embassy in Peru

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 411.2341/4–2656. Confidential; Niact.


529. Telegram From the Ambassador in Peru (Briggs) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 411.2341/5–256. Confidential; Niact.


531. Telegram From the Ambassador in Peru (Achilles) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.11/7–2956. Secret.


533. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 12, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5621/4–1257. Confidential


534. Letter From the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Mutual Security Affairs (Barnes) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Sprague)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5621/4–3057. Secret. Originally drafted by Sayre on April 19; the last paragraph was redrafted by David de Lima, of the Office of the Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Mutual Security Affairs, on April 29. Cleared by ARA, OSA, E, and U/MSA.


536. Telegram From the Chargé in the United Kingdom (Barbour) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.5621/8–857. Confidential. Repeated to Lima.