410. Memorandum of Conversation, June 6, among Hamilton, Nitze, Coffin, Bundy, and Defense Representatives1
SUBJECT
- Meeting of Messrs. Hamilton, Nitze, Coffin, Bundy, Gordon, Tank, General Palmer and representatives from the Department of Defense, on June 5, in Mr. Nitze’s office
General Palmer outlined the operations of his office in planning and programming the military assistance program. He reviewed chronological phasing of the program and points coordination with the Department of State and A.I.D. He presented the position of the DOD that AID/State required an inordinate amount of time to clear the program once the final changes have been made in it by DOD after the appropriations bill has been enacted by Congress. He stated that AID/State was fully consulted in the preparation of the program prior to its presentation to Congress and that any changes that occurred as a result of a cut by the Appropriations Committees was not significant from a policy point of view. Therefore a protracted review of the program after appropriations had been made was unjustified. He quoted Secretary McNamara, and was confirmed in this by Mr. Nitze that one week was sufficient for clearance by AID/State. Mr. Nitze added that Mr. McNamara had instructed him that, after one week, Mr. Nitze was to report the delay to Mr. McNamara and he would personally be in touch with Mr. Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton, as coordinator of military and economic aid, is responsible for the final approval of the program and Mr. Hamilton stated that he could not at this time say that one week could be sufficient for the clearance.
Mr. Hamilton asked if criteria or standards could be established for review, inasmuch as only particular cases would need to be reviewed by the various desk officers in AID/State. He agreed that, if policy had already been decided earlier in the process, he could see no reason why delay was necessary in approving whatever changes may have occurred as a result of appropriations action. Mr. Gordon said that, on occasion, changes in circumstances in the recipient country and in the [Typeset Page 1676] general diplomatic position made a thorough review of the MAP at this stage a necessity.
[Facsimile Page 2]Mr. Hamilton then suggested the following procedures: He would ask each Assistant Secretary in charge of the Regional Bureaus in State Department to appoint one man from each bureau to sit with one man from each regional bureau in AID. These two men in each regional area would review the program submitted by DOD after the appropriation bill was enacted. Any discrepancy or disagreement between AID/State and DOD would then be presented to Mr. Hamilton. If he felt it necessary, he would refer the matter to the desk officers in AID/State. In those areas where no issues were raised, and this presumably will be in the vast majority of cases, immediate approval would be given and sent back to the DOD for implementation. It was generally agreed that this procedure would lessen considerably the time necessary for review by AID/State and it could, conceivably, be done within a week. Mr. Hamilton agreed to set up the above procedure immediately.
There followed a brief, general discussion of Latin America determinations with no action being indicated or taken.
- Military assistance program clearance procedures. No classification marking. 3 pp. Washington National Records Center, RG 286, AID Administrator Files: FRC 65 A 481, Military Assistance, FY 1962.↩