867N.20A/3–2949
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Johnson)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: During the course of a call which he paid upon the Secretary of State on March 22, the Foreign Minister of Israel, Mr. Moshe Sharett, stated that the Israeli Government was very much interested in obtaining American technical assistance for the organization and training of the Israeli Army. He said that his Government would like to offer positions as advisers to a limited number of retired United States Army officers, or Reserve officers on inactive status, who were skilled in the various branches of military organization. Mr. Sharett added that the purpose of his request was not to prepare the Israeli Army for offensive operations but to reorganize it in the most efficient manner possible to permit the reduction of the number of men now under arms.
Mr. Sharett was told that the Department would be glad to discuss his request with your office and to give it sympathetic consideration. It was also explained that in the absence of permanent legislation, it would be impossible to comply with his request on the basis of a military mission.
The Department would appreciate receiving your opinion as to whether the procedure suggested by Mr. Sharett is permissible under the law and regulations and agreeable to the National Military Establishment. It appears that it would be desirable and in the national interest to permit competent retired or reserve officers, having the confidence of the National Military Establishment, to assist the Israeli authorities in the basic organization of their army.
It appears also, however, that while we should, if possible, give agreement in principle to Mr. Sharett’s request, it would be advisable to postpone the granting of permission to individual officers until such time as the armistice negotiations between Israel and the Syrian Governments [Page 899] have been successfully completed, or at least until we are satisfied that the likelihood of a renewal of hostilities in Palestine has passed.
Sincerely yours,