Office of the Historian

406. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Chile1

Washington, April 8, 1957—7:32 p.m.

493. Department and Defense appreciate GOC concern security Santiago area your 5522 and natural desire do all possible forestall threat renewed uprisings. Department also concerned implications this situation for stabilization program and has already manifested its interest our 4893 doing all possible give moral and if necessary and feasible material support insure its success. However GOC request introduces new element with implication possible involvement domestic political struggle.

Altered concept Chile’s hemispheric defense task deemphasizes without eliminating external missions but in any case does not envisage utilization MAP equipment domestic struggles unless clearly linked Communist threat as contemplated Caracas resolution.4 Breach this principle could (1) establish undesirable precedent inviting other LA requests less deserving of sympathy (2) provide target for propaganda exploitation as instance use US arms suppress popular movement.

Location unit for training purposes decision GOC. FYI US does not favor transfer unit at this time to new training location. End FYI. US unable agree use equipment for maintenance internal security absence satisfactory evidence Communist or Communist-influenced threat overthrow Government. Latest … reports do not indicate this to be case. Unless Embassy believes reasonably satisfactory evidence such threat exists, recommend you dissuade GOC from [Page 827] pressing request. At your discretion you may indicate US prepared supply on reimbursable basis anti-riot equipment.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 725.5–MSP/4–657. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Bernbaum, Silberstein, and Frank J. Devine of the Office of South American Affairs; approved by Rubottom.↩
  2. In telegram 552, April 6, the Embassy informed the Department that the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) in Chile had transmitted to the Department of Defense that day a request by the Chilean Army for U.S. concurrence in moving approximately half the equipment of its MAP-supported tank squadron from Antofagasta to Santiago in order to improve internal security of the Santiago area where the equipment was antiquated and inadequate. Lyon urged the immediate approval of this request in order to avoid delay of the shipment. (Ibid., 725.5–MSP/4–657)↩
  3. Supra.↩
  4. Apparent reference to Resolution XCIII, titled “Declaration of Solidarity for the Preservation of the Political Integrity of the American States Against the Intervention of International Communism,” approved on March 28, 1954, at the Tenth Inter-American Conference which met at Caracas, March 1–28, 1954. For text of the resolution, see Tenth Inter-American Conference: Report of the Delegation of the United States of America with Related Documents (Department of State Publication 5692, Washington, 1955), pp. 156–158. For documentation regarding the conference, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, volume IV, pp. 264 ff.↩