24. Letter From the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (Russell) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Snow)1
Dear Mr. Snow: Permit me to acknowledge receipt of your letter2 advising that the rehabilitation and modernization of vessels to be loaned to Latin American countries under Public Law 85–532, will be accomplished by grant aid instead of by loans as the Committee was informed when this legislation was under consideration.
It occurs to me that the changed economic conditions in Latin America should have been known to the Department of State and to the Department of Navy in 1958. Moreover, I am also of the opinion that the Departments should have anticipated that the Latin American countries might consider that they were being discriminated against when ships were being provided to other countries without charge.
Although I recognize that the changed financing for the rehabilitation of these vessels is possible under the terms of the authorizing act, I nevertheless desire to register a protest against this departure from the financing indicated in the justification material submitted to the Committee when this authority was under consideration.
With best wishes, I am
Sincerely,