Evening star., 1946-05-06
President Seeks
Military Tieup
Of All Americas
Asks Legislation for
Plan to Stundurdize
Defense Forces
By Gornett D. Horner

gress today for legislation au-
thorizing a program of military
collaboration with other Amer
ican countries, "including the
training, organization and equip
ment of the armed forces of
those countries"
A bill called "the nter-American
military cooperation act" author
izing the collaboration, was trans
mitted to Congress by the President,
along with a special message ex-
planning it and urging it's enactment.
The bill would authorize transfer
OF military and naval equipment to
the other Western Hemisphere gov
ernmentS by sale or other method" "
In providing such equipment, the
President declared, this Govern
ment will not participate in the
lndlScrlmlnate or unrestricted dis
tribution of armaments, which would
contribute to useless and burden
some armaments race"
Cites New Responsibilities.
He pointed out that the American
republics have recently assumed
new responsibilities for their mutual
defense" through the Act of Cha
pultepec and the United Nations
Charter.
THE close collaboration of the
American republics" he declared,
makes it highly desirable to stand
ardize military organization, train
ing methods and equipment"
He added that "a special respons-
ibility for leadership rests upon the
United States in this matter be-
cause of the preponderent, techni-
cal, economic and military resources
of this country" and said the pro-
posed program would be aimed at
facilitating the adoption of similar
technical standards" in the other
countries.
Before the war, many of the other
American republics armed forces
followed European standards in
their training-some of them being
trained by German officers-and
many of them used German and
other European equipment to a
large extent.
Argentina Not Mentioned.
The President did not mention
Argentina specifically in connection
with the program. but made clear
that United States aid would not be
extended to Argentina as long as
its government does not live up to
inter-American commitments, de-
claring:
"The execution of the program
authorized by the bill will 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 demo-
cratic principles to which the United
States and other American nations
have so often subscribed"
Emphasizing that the administra-
ton does not want the program to
raise the total level of armament
in the American republics, Mr.. Tru-
man pointed out that the bill speei-
fies that amounts of nonstandard
material shall be sought in ex-
change for United States equip
ment" transferred to the other
Americas.
He also declared that operation
of the program will be consistent
with the wording and spirit of the
United Nations Charter" He said
the program is designed primarily
TO enable the American nations to
carry out their obligations to CO.
operate in the maintenance of in
ter-American peace and security un-
der the Charter and the Act OF
Chapultepec, which is intended TO
be supplanted by permanent mutual
defense treaty.
Cordial Collaboration.
"Operations under the proposed
legislation" Mr. Truman also told
Congress, will be conducted with
full and constant aWareness that
no encouragement should be given
to the imposition upon other people
vi dllS VI
which would handicap the economic
improvement which all countries so
strangely desire"
The President pointed out that
the United States Army and Navy
have maintained cordial collabora-
ton with armed forces of the other
Americas for several years. He re-
called that military and naval train
ing missions have been sent to vari-
Gus American republics, and that
some military and naval equipment
was sent to them under lease lend
during the war.
The proposed bill would permit
some training activities not author
lied by existing legislation, as well
as set up procedure for large-scale