that act, and other basic inter-American documents, make it highly desirable to standardize military organization, training methods, and equipment as has been recommended by the Inter-American Defense Board.

I can find no better way to describe the intent and purpose of this bill than to repeat my message to the Congress of May 6, 1946.

Under the bill transmitted herewith, the Army and Navy, acting in conjunction with the Department of State, would be permitted to continue in the future a general program of collaboration with the armed forces of our sister republics with a view to facilitating the adoption of similar technical standards. Certain additional training activities, not covered by existing legislation, would be permitted. The President would also be authorized to transfer military and naval equipment to the governments of other American States by sales or other method. The collaboration authorized by the bill could be extended also to Canada, whose cooperation with the United States in matters affecting their common de fense is of particular importance.

A special responsibility for leadership rests upon the United States in this matter because of the preponderant technical, economic, and military resources of this country. There is a reasonable and limited purpose for which arms and military equipment can rightfully be made available to the other American states. This Government will not, I am sure, in any way approve of, nor will it participate in, the indiscriminate or unrestricted distribution of armaments, which would only contribute to a useless and burdensome armaments race. It does not desire that operations under this bill shall raise unnecessarily the quantitative level of armament in the American Republics. To this end the bill specifies that amounts of nonstandard material shall be sought in exchange for United States equipment.

It is my intention that any operations under this bill, which the Congress may authorize, shall be in every way consistent with the wording and spirit of the United Nations Charter. The bill has been drawn up primarily to enable the American nations to carry out their obligations to cooperate in the maintenance of inter-American peace and security under the Charter and the act of Chapultepec, which is intended to be supplanted by a permanent inter-American treaty. It is incumbent upon this Government to see that military developments in which we have a part are guided toward the maintenance of peace and security and that military and naval establishments are not encouraged beyond what security considerations require. In this connection the bill provides that operations thereunder are subject to any international agreement for the regulation of armaments to which the United States may become a party. In addition, provision will be made for continuing coordination of the actual operations under the legislation with developing plans and policy in the field of armaments regulation.

In executing this program it will be borne in mind, moreover, that it is the policy of this Government to encourage the establishment of sound economic conditions in the other American Republics which will contribute to the improvement of living standards and the advancement of social and cultural welfare. Such conditions are a prerequisite to international peace and security. Operations under the proposed legislation will be conducted with full and constant awareness that no encouragement should be given to the imposition upon other people of any useless burden of armaments which would handicap the economic improvement which all countries so strongly desire. The execution of the program authorized by the bill will also be guided by a determination to guard against placing weapons of war in the hands of any groups who may use them to oppose the peaceful and democratic principles to which the United States and other American nations have so often subscribed.

In entering into agreements with other American states for the provision of training and equipment as authorized by the bill, the purposes of this program will be made clear to each of the other governments.

THE WHITE HOUSE, May 23, 1947.

HARRY S. TRUMAN.

The CHAIRMAN. The first witness will be our very distinguished Secretary of State, Mr. Marshall.

STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGE C. MARSHALL, SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, D. C.

Chairman EATON. You may proceed.

Secretary MARSHALL. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, in my testimony this morning regarding the Inter-American Military Cooperation Act, I shall limit my remarks to those factors of primary importance to the Department of State. Representatives of the War and Navy Departments will furnish you their views on the purpose and operation of the bill.

The message of May 23 from the President to the Congress covered the general aspects of the problem. I wish to call your attention to the effects of certain provisions of this legislation upon our relations with foreign countries.

In a recent appearance before Mr. Mundt and his subcommittee considering legislation to authorize the Department of State to carry on certain educational activities abroad, I stated that the lack of knowledge and understanding in many countries about the United States, its people and its way of life is appalling in its extent.

The interchange of citizens of the various nations, regardless of occupation, would lead to a better understanding of the character and customs of all of them. This interchange is bound to enhance the mutual esteem and respect which now exists between and among the nations of the Western Hemisphere. Section 2 of this bill provides for such interchange.

It authorizes the President to enter into agreements with the governments of other American states to provide "for the instruction and training of military or naval personnel of such countries."

This clause in itself indicates that the objectives of the bill will have much greater benefits to all the American Republics than those normally to be expected from straight military cooperation.

Visitors from the Latin-American republics will live with our young men, and will become for a time close observers of our country. They will have opportunities to see all phases of our institutions and our country as a whole, and to mingle with our people in all walks of life. When these young leaders return to their homes it will be with a vastly better knowledge of the United States and what we stand for. These continued contacts should produce the results we hope for in the way of closer ties among the nations of the Western Hemisphere.

There are two major considerations in the political field which have a direct bearing on this bill. The first is the Act of Chapultepec which provides for mutual defense, the maintenance of peace, and the close collaboration of the American Republics. A similarity of training methods and equipment and a general standardization of military procedures is a prerequisite to adequate and effective military cooperation. It follows that this legislation is in specific accord with the Act of Chapultepec.

The second consideration is the manner in which this proposed legislation fits into the framework of the United Nations. The objectives of this bill are in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations. You will recall that the Act of Chapultepec, which was signed before the drafting of the United Nations Charter, provided that the ar

rangements made under it should be consistent with the Charter when it was adopted.

It is the recognized policy of the United States Government to place major reliance on the United Nations as the medium for achieving international peace aud security. The United States is actively supporting the United Nations effort to produce an effective program for international control and regulation of armaments.

The proposed bill takes cognizance of these policies, stipulating expressly that the program of standardization of arms and equipment of the American Republics shall be subject to any general system for the regulation of armaments which may be adopted by the United Nations, and to any other international treaty or convention for the regulation or limitation of armaments or arms traffic to which the United States may become a party. The explicit language of the bill insures that the assistance provided to the other American states under the terms of this act will not run counter to these fundamental tenets of our foreign policy.

Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter authorizes the existence of regional arrangements for dealing with matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security, and provides further that the Security Council shall, where appropriate, utilize such regional arrangements for enforcement action. The inter-American system is just such an arrangement as the Charter refers to, fully consistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Furthermore, article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations recognizes the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a member of the United Nations until the Security Council has taken the measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.

The measures taken by the members in the exercise of self-defense are to be immediately reported to the Security Council for action. But pending such action the American countries can defend themselves to the fullest extent of their power against an armed attack by

any enemy.

At no time in the history of this country have closer bonds been found between and among the nations of the Americas than at present. During the war the interdependence of the economies of the American nations, which had long been recognized, required the Latin-American Republics and the United States to coordinate their military activities. Without military collaboration the defense of the Americas would have been dangerously weakened.

Our cooperation during the war was, of course, made more difficult because many Latin-American countries had received military equipment and training from Germany and other European countries. We may be sure that if we are not willing to assist our Latin-American friends, as well as Canada, to which the terms of the act also apply, in the procurement of arms and in obtaining instruction and training for their military personnel, they will of necessity seek this help elsewhere.

I believe firmly that the opportunity presented to us to give material assistance to the foreign policy of our country at so little cost should not now be lost. I urgently recommend early and favorable action on this legislation.

Chairman EATON. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

We are to understand that you consider this bill in full accord with the principles laid down in the Charter of the United Nations? Secretary MARSHALL. I do, sir.

Chairman EATON. I would like to call your attention to page 4, section 5, of the bill:

The terms and conditions upon which the cooperation authorized under section 3 is extended to any country, shall be such as the President shall find satisfactory, and the benefit to the United States may be payment or repayment in kind of property, or any other direct or indirect benefits which the President may term to be adequate or satisfactory.

Can we be sure that thought will be given under this legislation, and arrangements made, to protect the national interests of the United States by putting into the bargain, "secure access to and protection to and protection of United States property, rights, or its citizens' rights, in strategic minerals or materials in Latin America"? Secretary MARSHALL. My answer to that is in the affirmative. Chairman EATON. Mr. Bloom.

Mr. BLOOM. Mr. Secretary, if we do not do this, some other country will do it; is that right?

Secretary MARSHALL. That is correct, sir.

Mr. BLOOM. Other countries have done it heretofore with the different South American countries, have they not?

Secretary MARSHALL. Yes, sir. That was my initial experience in the development of the last war as Chief of Staff in dealing with matters in Latin America.

As a matter of fact, when my appointment was announced and before I actually became Chief of Staff I was sent to Latin America, and there I encountered missions of other countries, and later as Chief of Staff I became involved in the complications which flowed from that. I appeared, as I recall, immediately before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House, of which you then were the chairman, in connection with what changes were required in our law, so that we could do something to help them prepare their coastal defenses, so their utilities, and particularly their cities close to the coast, would not be exposed to destructive raids.

There was almost an impossibility in doing anything for them. It was complicated by the fact that they had German material, they had French material and missions, and material from Italy. They had pretty much everything but United States assistance, except in a very small way.

Then the demands became more and more urgent, particularly along the west coast, as we got into the war, and vulnerable utilities in particular located on the coast, and also in the bulge of Brazil, looking toward Africa.

Throughout all of those affairs we were very seriously embarrassed by the lack of just such legislation as is now proposed to your committee.

Mr. BLOOM. There is one other question, Mr. Chairman: Not that I am concerned about it, but I have heard if the United States should do this, that it might give assistance to some of the other countries to the south, to enable them to embark into internal revolutionary affairs, civil wars and the like.

That could be protected, could it not?

Secretary MARSHALL. That would be within the wisdom of the President of the United States in the implementation of this law.

You also have along with that, Mr. Bloom, the fact that they can obtain the material otherwise if they want, for an evil purpose. Mr. BLOOM. That could be protected by regulation?

Secretary MARSHALL. Yes, sir; as far as our material is concerned. Mr. BLOOM. That is all, Mr. Chairman.

Chairman EATON. Mr. Vorys.

Mr. VORYS. No questions.

Chairman EATON. Mr. Richards.

Mr. RICHARDS. No questions.

Chairman EATON. Mr. Jonkman.

Mr. JONKMAN. Have any conversations been held with the South American Republics as to this proposed plan?

Secretary MARSHALL. I think there have been discussions over the past month, but those have been almost entirely, I believe, with the War and Navy Departments officials.

Mr. JONKMAN. You have no idea, then, as to how many nations will be receptive to this entire American armament plan at the present time?

Secretary MARSHALL. I could not answer that, sir. I mean by that that I do not have the data available.

Mr. JONKMAN. Is the program, then, unilateral on our part at the present time?

Secretary MARSHALL. No, sir. There has been an impatience, I know, on the part of a number of the nations for us to take some action in the matter.

Mr. JONKMAN. If this bill becomes a law, what scope will the program attain? By that I mean, will, for instance, all arms and military equipment of the South American Republics be purchased from the United States so that they will all be public sales?

Secretary MARSHALL. There is no restriction, I believe, in the law to their purchasing them otherwise, but under this law we would have the legal right, the War and Navy Departments, to enter into arrangements under the terms of this law.

Mr. JONKMAN. For instance, there was some information spread some time ago about a man by the name of Eisenhart, a former employee of the Foreign Economic Administration stationed in Venezuela, and he figured in a trial where he had purchased arms in Georgia, I think it was, and had tried to sell them to some American Republic. Under this provision, this proposed bill, would we have a check on anything of that kind?

Secretary MARSHALL. I do not believe that this law provides any additional check. I think this law does not pertain to that character of activity, which is one more for the FBI, and the other officials of the State, War, and Navy Departments, to determine what is going on, but I do not think this law, as it reads here, provides any additional check of that nature. I may be wrong on that, but I think I am right.

Mr. JONKMAN. Have you heard anything about the Eisenhart case? Secretary MARSHALL. No, sir; I have not.