HEMISPHERIC DEFENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26472, 28 May 1947, Page 5

HEMISPHERIC DEFENCE

AMERICA TO PROVIDE ARMS PROPOSAL BY PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, May 26. President Truman, in a message from Kansas City to-day, asked Congress for authority to arm, equip, and train the armed forces of the Western Hemisphere, including Canada, He said that, although Congress had not granted a similar request he made last year, world developments had since given hemisphere collaboration still greater importance. The legislation suggested would authorise the United States to instruct and train military personnel of other American countries, to maintain, repair, and rehabilitate their military and naval equipment, and supply them with arms and ammunition. The broad programme, which the President outlined in his message read to Congress, included standardisation of armaments and military methods throughout the hemisphere, and stipulated that recipients should not transfer equipment to other nations. President Truman said the recipients would have to pay costs of any material especially manufactured for them, and could give the United States their present military equipment as partial payment. The United States would confine military support to “ reasonable and limited purposes.” He added: “This Government will not in any way approve of or participate in indiscriminate or unrestricted distribution of armaments.” The programme would be subject to any general system of regulations of armaments which the United Nations might adopt. The President emphasised it would be the United States Government’s policy to encourage sound economic conditions in other American countries as a “pre-requisite to internal peace and security.”