5. Memorandum From the Administrator of the Agency for International
Development (Bell) to
President Johnson1
Washington, March 23, 1964.
SUBJECT
- Determination under sections 505(a) and 511(b) of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, permitting the furnishing of
defense articles on a grant basis to certain Latin American
countries
The purpose of this memorandum is to recommend that you determine (1)
pursuant to section 505(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961,2
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as amended, that the furnishing of
defense articles on a grant basis under the Act to Argentina, Bolivia,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and
Uruguay is necessary to safeguard the security of the United States, or
the security of such countries which are associated with the United
States in the Alliance for Progress, against overthrow of duly
constituted governments, or both; and (2) pursuant to section 511(b) of
the Act, that internal security requirements may be the basis for
furnishing defense articles on a grant basis to Argentina, Bolivia,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.
The total programmed for countries listed in (1) above in FY 1964 for defense articles in general is
$54,374,775. The portion of that amount which is related to internal
security for countries listed in (2) above is $32,662,464. The amounts
for each country are shown in Attachment #1 hereto.
In sum, my recommendation for the required determinations, supported by
data in Attachment #1, is based upon the facts that:
- (1)
- all countries are associated with the United States in the
Alliance for Progress,
- (2)
- they have requested our help to meet the pressures of the
Castro-Communist threat which is now a reality, and with which
they cannot cope without our assistance, to defend their coastal
waters, to engage in civic action, and to participate in
collective defense missions; and
- (3)
- maintaining the internal security of these countries and the
freedom of the Hemisphere from aggression is necessary to
achieve our objectives in the Alliance for Progress.
It is, accordingly, recommended that you sign the attached memorandum
which embodies the determinations required by sections 505(a) and 511(b)
of the Act and thereby authorize the furnishing of defense articles on a
grant basis for the purposes described.3 The Department of Defense
concurs in this recommendation.
Attachment #14
1. Statutory Requirements
- A.
- Defense Articles in General are limited by section 505(a) of
the Act in pertinent part, as follows:
… except (1) to the
extent necessary to fulfill prior commitments or (2) to the
extent that the President finds, with respect to any Latin
American
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country,
that the furnishing of military assistance under this Act is
necessary to safeguard the security of the United States or
to safeguard the security of a country associated with the
United States in the Alliance for Progress against overthrow
of a duly constituted government, and so informs the
Congress, no further military assistance under any provision
of this Act shall be furnished to any Latin American
country.
- B.
-
Defense Articles for Internal Security
Purposes are further limited by section 511(b) of the
Act as follows:
Internal security requirements shall not,
unless the President determines otherwise and promptly
reports such determination to the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations and to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, be the basis for military assistance
programs for American Republics.
2. Funds for Defense Articles in FY 1964 Program
The funds programmed per country are set forth below. The total funds
programmed for defense articles for any one country may be varied by
up to 15% of the amounts specified below to take account of changing
circumstances and requirements, subject, however, to the requirement
that the total amount programmed for all countries shall not exceed
the ceiling of $55 million established for grants of defense
articles by section 511(a) of the Act.
Column A—Total country grants for defense
articles (including costs of packing, crating, handling, and
transportation) for FY 1964 which,
pursuant to section 505(a), are necessary to safeguard the security
of the United States or to safeguard the security of these countries
against the overthrow of duly constituted governments.
Column B—Portions of total defense articles
in column A programmed to meet internal security requirements
pursuant to section 511(b). These are defense articles necessary to
safeguard the security of these countries against the overthrow of
duly constituted governments and are considered to be primarily for
internal security.
|
Country
|
(Column A) Total Funds for Defense
Articles
|
(Column B) Internal Security Portion of
Funds for Defense Articles (not additive)
|
| Argentina*
|
*$7,545,464 |
*$6,252,584 |
| Bolivia |
1,472,129 |
998,538 |
| Brazil |
10,422,686 |
4,823,369 |
| Chile |
7,467,191 |
2,570,929 |
| Colombia |
9,251,021 |
6,487,355 |
| Costa Rica |
398,813 |
110,939 |
| Dominican Republic |
126,695 |
0 |
| Ecuador |
3,178,984 |
2,729,838 |
| El Salvador |
975,954 |
769,048 |
| Guatemala |
1,382,100 |
746,016 |
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| Honduras |
51,151 |
0 |
| Nicaragua |
443,903 |
411,503 |
| Panama |
143,958 |
133,958 |
| Paraguay |
909,149 |
0 |
| Peru |
8,189,750 |
5,762,567 |
| Uruguay |
2,415,827 |
865,820 |
| Total |
$54,374,775 |
$32,662,464 |
All of these countries are associated with the United States in the
Alliance for Progress.
Since all the materiel to be provided under this program is of United
States origin, there will be no adverse effect on the balance of
payments.
3. Basic Justification for Findings and
Determinations
This recommendation for the necessary findings and determinations by
the President permitting the furnishing of Defense Articles in
General and for Internal Security is based on the following
considerations:
Latin America has long been considered a target for Castro-communist
subversion. Because of the unstable political institutions, enormous
social differences, and retarded economic growth in these countries,
many groups in their societies feel isolated from the main currents
of national development, and are easy prey to Castro-communist
propaganda and organizers.
The Castro regime has announced its intention to promote the
overthrow of Latin American governments and replace them with
totalitarian regimes patterned on the Castro model. In furtherance
of this intention, subversion and guerrilla warfare are being used
either unilaterally or in conjunction with local communists, exiles,
or dissident opposition groups.
The insidious character of this threat has created critical new
requirements for military training and equipment in the Latin
American armed forces. Forces responsible for maintaining law and
order have neither the equipment nor the trained personnel to
counter well-conceived and well-executed plans to subvert the State,
either by mob action, guerrilla warfare, terrorism and sabotage, or
by armed invasion. They are turning to us for help in developing the
special capabilities to seek out, destroy, or take into custody both
arms and bands of armed men which move across their land, sea, and
air borders for subversive purposes; to deal effectively with
disorders in the cities; and to prevent or control guerrilla
outbreaks in rural areas. Unless these countries develop the will
and capability, individually and jointly, to deal effectively
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with this new threat, they
stand to lose the opportunity for orderly economic and social growth
within the framework of free institutions.
The prevention of any further expansion of communist influence and
power within the Western Hemisphere is a major requirement of United
States security. Any such expansion would not only greatly undermine
the physical security of the United States, but would place the
United States position in all other areas of Latin America in
jeopardy and would adversely affect our power and influence in other
areas of the world which are vital to U.S. security.
This assistance is also designed to increase the capabilities of
recipient countries to provide for defense of their coastal waters,
participate in civic action projects which serve to ameliorate
socio-economic conditions and discontent upon which communism feeds,
and to participate in collective defense missions. In general, the
capabilities now being developed by military assistance in Latin
America of light, mobile forces constitute an important collective
defense asset.
Accordingly, the furnishing of defense articles for the purposes
described above is necessary to safeguard the security of the United
States or to safeguard the security of these recipient countries
against the overthrow of duly constituted governments.5
