Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western Europe and Canada, Volume VI, Part 2

752.5/3–1252

No. 844
Memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Lovett)¹

top secret

Washington, March 3, 1952.

• Subject: Military Assistance to Spain.

1. In reply to your memorandum of 15 February 1952,² subject as above, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed their recommendations of 16 and 17 January,³ and 15 February 1952,² in light of the comments submitted by the Department of State.⁴

2. The Department of State has based its position upon the supposition that the limitations on “initial discussions” with the Spanish, as imposed by the President on 11 July 1951, are still in effect. On 16 July 1951 the late Admiral Sherman, together with Ambassador Griffis, conducted the initial discussions with General Francoconcerning U.S. military requirements and operating facilities desired in Spanish territory. Subsequently, from 22 August to 31 October 1951, a Survey Team, headed by Major General Spry, conducted a survey of selected Spanish air, naval and related logistic facilities. The Joint Chiefs of Staff therefore consider that the period of initial discussions, referred to in paragraph 3 of the Department of State letter, has been concluded.

3. The Joint Chiefs of Staff agree, with one exception, to the Department of State’s proposed terms of reference for the Joint U.S. Military Group (JUSMG) (Spain). The Joint Chiefs of Staff consider that subparagraph 1h of Enclosure 1⁵ to the Department of State letter, dated 11 February 1952, should charge the Chief JUSMG (Spain) with specific duties concerning an analysis of Spanish requirements for military training equipment. The Services will require such an analysis to allocate properly the limited available supply of such equipment. Furthermore, they believe subparagraph 1h is unnecessarily restrictive in requiring interdepartmental approval of subsidiary military surveys in Spain. It is therefore recommended that subparagraph 1h of the terms of reference proposed by the Department of State be deleted, and the following substituted therefor:

“h. The Chief, JUSMG (Spain), using available information, will analyze and make recommendations on Spanish requests for military training equipment. If available information proves to be inadequate, the Chief, JUSMG (Spain), may, when authorized by the Ambassador, make a survey of Spanish requirements for such equipment.”

4. With reference to Enclosure 2 to the Department of State letter of 11 February 1952,⁶ the Joint Chiefs of Staff agree that negotiations with Spain should be limited, at this time, to the acquisition of those facilities and services listed therein. In this connection, however, the Joint Chiefs of Staff desire to point out that Enclosure 2 to the Department of State letter does not constitute a complete statement of U.S. military requirements in Spain. U.S. military requirements in Spain remain as stated in subparagraph 3g of the memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the Secretary of Defense dated 16 January 1952.⁷

5. Concerning the extent of the facilities and services required, the Joint Chiefs of Staff consider that those facilities and services shown in the Enclosure hereto, which have been arranged in order of priority to assist the Ambassador, are the minimum desired. With regard to the concern of the Department of State about the impact of such a program on the economy of Spain, it is to be noted that the Joint Chiefs of Staff propose to phase the military base construction over a period of three years.

6. In order to proceed with the expressed desires of both the Departments of State and Defense to undertake negotiations with Spain as early as possible, the Joint Chiefs of Staff propose that:

a. Representatives of the JUSMG participate informally, henceforth, in the activities of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Spain referred to in MAAC D–3.⁸

b. As soon as agreement has been reached upon the terms of reference for the JUSMG and the scope of negotiations, the JUSMG proceed to Spain, arriving just subsequent to the arrival of Ambassador MacVeagh.

7. With reference to the request by the Department of State for an estimate of the type of assistance which could appropriately be extended to the Spanish munitions industry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff will make available to the Service members of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Spain, appropriate information from the report by the Joint Military Survey Team (Spain) as the basis for discussion and planning by that group.

8. The views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff concerning the utilization of the $100,000,000 appropriated by Congress for economic, technical and military assistance to Spain were transmitted to you in their memorandum dated 15 February 1952.⁹

For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

Hoyt S. Vandenberg
Chief of Staff, United States Air Force

Enclosure

top secret

[Washington, March 3, 1952.]

Memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Lovett)

Facilities and Services Required in Spain

For use of the Ambassador during negotiations the following is a statement of facilities and services required in Spain. This statement is arranged to indicate, within each Service, the time-phased desirability of implementation of the program. No priority among Services is established.

1. U.S. Army Requirements

Rehabilitation of Spanish transportation system sufficient to support Navy and Air Force requirements indicated below.

2. U.S. Navy Requirements

a. Offloading dock and flyaway facility at Matagorda (Cadiz Area).

b. (1) Anchorage rights. (2) Use of port repair facilities on an emergency basis.

c. Modification of existing subterranean liquid fuel storage facilities.

d. Dehumidification of existing subterranean munitions storage facilities.

e. Advanced naval air base at Rota (Cadiz Area) and interconnecting facilities with Matagorda installation.

f. Utilization of amphibious training area.

3. U.S. Air Force Requirements

a. Facilities of equal priority for:

(1) 1 Strategic reconnaissance wing

(2) 4 Medium bombardment wings

(3) 1 Air depot

(4) 1 appropriate headquarters installation.

b. Facilities of equal priority for:

(1) 2 Medium bombardment wings

(2) 1 Fighter escort wing

(3) 2 Fighter interceptor wings.

1. Signed by Vandenberg and transmitted by Secretary Lovett to Secretary Acheson in a letter of Mar. 12. According to the letter, it constituted a reply to Acheson’s letter to the Secretary of Defense of Feb. 11 (Document 840). In concurring with the JCS recommendations, Lovett found the positions of the Departments of Defense and State sufficiently close to permit the negotiations to begin.
2. Not found in Department of State files.
3. See Document 834.
2. Not found in Department of State files.
4. Reference is to Document 840.
5. The paragraph reads as follows: “If reports of the Service Attachés and other available information do not prove to be adequate, the Chief, JUSMG (Spain) may be authorized, after further consultation between State and Defense, to make a survey of Spanish requirements for military training equipment.”
6. Document 840.
7. See Document 834. “Subparagraph 3g” of the Jan. 15 memorandum is summarized in paragraph 2 of that document.
8. For found in Department of State files.

9. Not found in Department of State files; however, the views of the JCS were transmitted in a letter of Mar. 4 from Lovett to Acheson; see footnote 7, Document 840.

   In a letter of Mar. 28 to Lovett, Matthews indicated that the Department of State concurred in all essential points with the recommendations made by the JCS in this memorandum. (752.5/2–1252)