Evening star., 1951-12-16

boards staff committed to the task
of advising on hemisphere defense.
The basic plan has just been distrib-
uted to members for action and will
be supplemented from time to time.
What the board hopes to accom-
plish is the complete protection Of
supply lines. while defending the
coast lines. and without some of the
costly errors and duplication of effort
which resulted in World War II.
At that time the United States
committed thousands of Army, Navy
and Air Force personnel to the task
of establishing air lines and bases,
guarding and clearing shipping lanes
and virtually experimenting the flow
of war materials from their source to
the fabrication plants in this country.
1t is estimated that the number en-
gagged in this logistical enterprise far
outnumbered the actual combat
troops put in action by the other
republics.
Areo Defense
If there is another war, the blue
print of hemisphere defense will call
for area defense by the country or
countries Immediately threatened
and deployment of military strength
to relieve the burden from any single
nation. 1t would be like the modern
fire department system of covering
for the units called out to combat
fires.
There would be complete accord on
operation of naval and air bases,
lines Of communication, the stand
ardization of materiel and full mill
tary cooperation.
The conclusions reached by the
board have been arrived at after
careful study, with an eye to eff
cheney and consideration of the eco
nomic factors. High-ranking mill
tary men were consulted and have
an active part in the decisions. The
boards Council of Delegates, the leg
islative body has full quota of mill
tary attaches or equivalent. 1t oper-
ates without veto powers. Panama
and Costa Rica are the only republics
without delegates on the council.
The staff and directorate are COM
posed of top military men.
Staff director is Brig. Gen. Edwin
L. Sibert. U. S. A. He was preceded
by Brig. Gen. Lemuel Matthewson
and Maj. Gen. Robert L. Walsh.
U. S. A. F. Now the staff is carrying
out directive calling for plans for
the protection of maritime routes.
Vice director is Gen. Gustavo Rojas
Pipilla, commander in chief of the
Colombian Army.
Home on Sixteenth Street
The board operates from a reno
waited mansion at $500 Sixteenth
street N. w.. which is now it's per-
manent home. 1t was previously To-
Gated at 1875 New York avenue NV.
Regular assemblies are held and
usually receive some of the highest
dignitaries on the staffs of member
countries. Working committees of
the staff on planning. intelligence,
training and organization and logis-
tics also operate at headquarters.
following out directives of the coun-
Gil.
1t. Gen. Charles l.. Bolte. U. S. A.,
is chairman of the board. The chair
manShip always rests with the coun-
try in which the board functions.
Gen. Willis D. Crittenberger, first
Army commander, and Gen. Matthew
B. Ridgway. now in Korea, both
held the chair. The vice chairman
ship goes. by lot. to one of the
other countries.
Hemisphere nations began to con-
slider collective defense when Western
Europe started to rearming prior to
1910. But Pearl Harbor was the
challenge that started action. With
in two days. the Chilean foreign min
lister called for a meeting of all the
foreign ministers of the republics. At
this session. January Is, 1912, the
Inter-American Defense Board was
born. It went to work Immediately