117. Letter From the Vice President to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)1
Dear Mr. Secretary: On my recent trip to Africa, I had occasion to discuss our Military Aid Program to Ethiopia with the Minister of National Defense.2 I believe that the resulting observations [Page 349] will be of interest to you. I did not, of course, discuss the monetary value of future aid, nor did I make any commitments. The talks did disclose certain of their desires and objectives and convinced me of certain principles which we should observe in this specific case.
I believe that Ethiopia will have an increasingly important influence in African affairs and that our enlightened self-interest requires that we ensure their continued friendship and support of our policies. I further believe that the Armed Forces of Ethiopia could have an important stabilizing role in the Middle East in addition to their primary mission of internal security. For example, they might be employed as a neutral police force in appropriate situations.
For these reasons, I therefore urge that our Military Aid Program to Ethiopia be moderately expanded as previously recommended to you by the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group, and that it be promptly executed.
Furthermore, in view of past misunderstandings, I strongly recommend that all commitments as to quantity, quality and time of delivery be kept meticulously. Finally, if it is possible to do so, I think that a fuller bookkeeping report of the program, submitted to the Ethiopians as the program is executed, would be productive of better understanding.
I believe that adherence to these principles will not only provide a military asset in a key area, but will promote diplomatic success and mutual confidence.
Please accept my sincere best wishes.
Sincerely,
- Source: Department of State, AF/NE Files: Lot 67 D 226, Military Assistance 1957. Confidential. A copy was sent to the Secretary of State.↩
- Nixon met with Ethiopian Defense Minister Ras Abebe Aregai on March 12. The latter chiefly complained that much of the U.S. equipment received by Ethiopia was second-hand and data as to its exact monetary value was hard to come by. (Memorandum of conversation prepared in the Embassy in Addis Ababa, March 12; ibid., S/P–NSC Files: Lot 62 D 1) The Army rejoinder was that 85.3 percent of the equipment intended for Ethiopia under the 1953–1956MAP had been delivered as of January 31, 1957. The low maintenance aptitude of the Ethiopians was blamed for their inability to operate motor vehicles successfully. The Army also denied that used and recharged ammunition had been supplied. The Department of Defense further stipulated that it was precluded by formal regulations from disclosing the dollar value of MAP equipment. While the erratic pattern of the military aid was conceded, this was attributed to the interminable delays encountered in the program approval process. (Memorandum from McClelland to Palmer, March 22; ibid., AF/NE Files: Lot 67 D 226, Military Assistance 1957)↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩