710. Consultation (3)A/184

Resolution Concerning Inter-American Protection Against Sabotage, Approved by the Emergency Advisory Committee for Political Defense on October 16, 194232

[Translation]

[The “Exposition of Reasons” which precedes text of the resolution is here omitted.]

Whereas:

A.
The Third Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics recommended in the memorandum attached to Resolution XVII that the American Republics take comprehensive measures to prevent nationals of States members of the Tripartite Pact and of States subservient to them from possessing, trading in or using instruments of sabotage, “in order to protect and safeguard vital documents, installations and operations” and to “punish all acts of sabotage, injury to or destruction of essential defense materials, factories, buildings, areas and utilities for manufacture and storage, public services, means of transportation and communication, water front areas and facilities”;
B.
Trustworthy reports prove that agents of States members of the Tripartite Pact or of States subservient to them are in a position to and intend to commit acts of sabotage for the purpose of injuring or destroying indispensable materials and vital services within the American Republics;
C.
Such acts of sabotage would endanger and delay the “economic mobilization of the American Republics” which was recommended in Resolution II of the Third Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs,33 “with a view to assuring to the countries of this hemisphere, and particularly to those which are at war, an adequate supply of basic and strategic materials, in the shortest possible time” and for the purpose of giving practical expression to continental solidarity in the common struggle against political and military aggression of the [Page 99] States members of the Tripartite Pact and the States subservient to them;
D.
In Resolution XVII, the Third Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs entrusted to the Emergency Advisory Committee for Political Defense the responsibility for studying and coordinating the measures recommended in the said Resolution and attached Memorandum;
E.
The Inter-American Defense Board has recognized that grave danger of sabotage exists and has recommended to the American Republics that they cooperate closely with this Committee in fulfilling the responsibility mentioned above, which was entrusted to this Committee by the Third Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the American Republics;
F.
In view of the importance and urgency of preparing defense against such acts of aggression of a non-military character which threaten the whole continent, the Committee considers that it has the imperative duty of calling attention to the existence of this serious danger and of suggesting certain preliminary measures of precaution pending receipt from the Governments of reports and suggestions which will help it to draw up detailed recommendations and coordinated plans on the individual and collective security of the American Republics against the same;

The Emergency Advisory Committee for Political Defense Resolves:

To recommend to the Governments of the American Republics that they:

1.
Immediately repeat to the competent authorities instructions urgently to undertake a strict watch against acts of sabotage.
2.
Designate the competent governmental division or agency which is to:
a)
Examine and determine which materials and services within their frontiers are important in relation to the war and in defense of the American Republics, such as mines, oil installations, factories, railroads and other means of transportation, bridges, workshops, means of communication and other public services, warehouses and stored material and water front areas and services.
b)
Study and adopt adequate measures for the protection of the various classes of material and services which require defense against sabotage.
c)
Require that such measures be adopted by the officials of the companies which have the said material and services under their charge.
d)
Make periodic investigations for the purpose of seeing to the execution of the said measures.
3.
Cooperate closely with one another for the purpose of adopting preventive measures against sabotage which will assure ever further the military and economic defense of the hemisphere.
4.
Transmit to the Committee, as promptly as possible, copies of laws and regulations which they have adopted for protection against the sabotage of the material and services mentioned above, and also all information concerning:
a)
The measures planned or already put into force by the respective Government or by the owners or managers of factories, mines, oil installations or other vital installations, specifically showing which of the measures mentioned in the enclosure to the present resolution have been taken, either by governmental authorities or by private owners or managers.
b)
Agencies of the Government, planned or in existence, intended to take charge of the execution of the measures for protection against sabotage.
5.
Transmit to the Emergency Advisory Committee for Political Defense, as soon as possible, reports and suggestions which may be useful in the compilation of a booklet of instructions concerning the protection of plants and public services by the owners and operators thereof, and in the formulation of a resolution concerning minimum legislative and administrative rules to protect against sabotage and in inter-American coordination thereof, documents with which the Committee is at present occupied.
6.
Transmit to the said Committee, as soon as possible, their opinion or recommendations concerning the possibility and advisability of the establishment of an inter-American exchange of technical personnel and of information of a technical nature relative to the adoption and operation of control against sabotage.

  1. Transmitted to the Department by the Chairman of the Committee with his communication of November 10, 1942; received November 27.
  2. Department of State Bulletin, February 7, 1942, p. 119.