Office of the Historian

167. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Gray) to the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom)1

Washington, November 27, 1956.

Dear Mr. Rubottom: We have recently been advised by the Department of the Army that their requirement for two radar sites in Panama, originally intended for use in connection with its then proposed Nike program in the Canal Zone, is still valid since they will be used for antiaircraft purposes. This places in a different light our decision taken in August to drop negotiations for these sites with the Republic of Panama. It is accordingly requested that negotiations with Panama be resumed at the earliest convenient time.2

Sincerely yours,

Gordon Gray
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56319/11–2756. Secret.↩
  2. In his reply of December 14, Rubottom stated that he would initiate the necessary action immediately to reopen negotiations with the Government of Panama through the Embassy for the purpose of obtaining the required radar sites. (Ibid.)↩