Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-07-20
Associated Press staff Writer

The State Department said
today that the United States
military aid program for Peru
has been suspended along with
the pending economic assist
ance commitments.
This means that the new
military junta which is strongly
opposed by the United States
has been denied arms help
worth several millions Of dol
lars a year.
The breakdown on aid or
dered by President Kennedy is
directed toward bringing about
an early return to civilian
democratic government in the
Latin America country.
Lincoln White, State Depart
ment press officer, confirmed
under questioning today that
military aid as well as economic
aid has been suspended.
S14 Million Last Year
Mr.. White said, 1.-THE mill
tary aid program has been sus-
pended"
He declined to give any fig
ures on value Of military aid,
but it amounted to more than
$14 million in the year ended
June 80, 1861, the last period
for which figures were readily
available.
Announcement of the cutoff
of economic aid except for rela-
lively minor humanitarian as
Sistance came late yesterday,
shortly after the White House
had denounced the military
takeover III Lima as dealing a
serious setback to the cause
of democracy in the Western
Hemisphere.
President Kennedy has
noted the developments in Peru
with great concern" the White
House statement said.
Thus Mr.. Kennedy involved
his personal prestige to an un-
precedented degree in Peru's
internal political struggle.
Sugar Suspension
Washington officials said the
drastic steps that have been
taken by the Administration to
bring pressure on the military
group which seized power in
Peru on Wednesday were con-
sidered essential to protect and
promote broad Kennedy aims
for all Of Latin America.
At least one more United
States action is in prospect
the suspension Of sugar pur-
chases from Peru at premium
prices. Peru's annual quota of
sugar sales to the Unite States
at present is 10000 tons with
a value to Peru of about SIG
million.
Mr.. Kennedy was repeatedly
motivated by several consid-
erations in his decision to put
his personal prestige behind
what amounts to United States
political and economic inter-
vention in a situation tradi-
tionally regarded by the Amer
lean nations as internal.
For one thing, in launching
the Alliance for Progress last
year, Mr.. Kennedy committed
himself to the promotion of
broad, long-range social, politi-
cal, economic and governmental
reforms in Latin America &C
cording to the needs and
growth capacities Of the diff
ferent countries that were will
ing to cooperate.
COntagi0n Feared
Another consideration in ad-
ministration policy making in
the present circumstances is
that a military seizure of power
such as that at Lima may prove
to be contagious. Mr.. Kennedy
obviously wants to discourage
the spread of military die
tatorship wherever possible.
Still a third point in the
minds of the President and his
advisers, officials said, is the
fact that Communist agitators
operating in many nations to
the south are certain to seize
upon the military action in
Peru as an argument to rest
less civilian populations that
their only choice lies between
dictatorship at one extreme