TRANSFER OF ARMS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22339, 26 May 1947, Page 3

TRANSFER OF ARMS

U.S. DECISION LATIN AMERICA OBJECTIONS OVERRULED NEW YORK, May 23. The New York Times’ correspondent. Mr. J. Reston, says the Secretary of State, Mr. G. Marshall, has settled the prolonged controversy within the Government over the transfer of military and naval equipment to other nations in the Western Hemisphere. Mr. S. Braden, assistant Secretary of State for Latin America, for months had opposed the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy, who desired to transfer a considerable quantity of equipment to Canada and to Latin American Republics as a means of improving the hemisphere’s defences. Mr. Braden had argued that this would strengthen non-democratic more than democratic elements.

Mr. Marshall has over-ruled Mr. Braden and has recommended President Truman to proceed with the legislation without delay. Under the programme of standardisation recommended by the Inter-Ameri-can Defence Boaid, the United States would not engage in any indiscriminate export of arms to nations below the border, but would assist them in modernising their equipment and training methods. Mr. Reslon pointed out that other countries have begun to sell considerable quantities of arms. in Latin America. For example. Britain had been “peddling” modern war equipment, in the drive to get hard currency. She recently sold several jet fighters to Argentina.