[Enclosure]
Memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the
Secretary of Defense (Lovett)
top secret
Washington, 22 October
1951.
Subject: Outline of Program for Regulation, Limitation
and Balanced Reduction of All Armed Forces and Armaments
1. In accordance with the request contained in your memorandum dated 20
October 1951,2 the Joint
Chiefs of Staff have considered the draft position paper prepared by the
Department of State on the above subject. The Joint Chiefs of Staff
concur generally therein subject, however, to incorporation of changes
along the following lines (changes indicated in the usual manner):
a. Change the second sentence of paragraph 2 to
read:
“However, all States should consider seriously whether steps can be
taken to find ways of easing the armaments burden as methods are
found to call a halt to the fighting
bring about a peace and international
tensions are relaxed.”
Reason: A “halt to the fighting” in Korea would
result at the time of conclusion of an armistice. However, the cessation
of fighting might well be only of a temporary nature. The Joint Chiefs
of Staff would not agree to entering into negotiations as outlined in
the basic paper until a peace, not a temporary cessation of hostilities,
had become effective in Korea.
b. Change the second sentence of paragraph 3 to
read:
“This means revealing in appropriate stages all armed
forces—including para-military, security and police forces—and all
armaments,
[Page 550]
including
atomic, and providing for proper and
progressive international inspection to verify the adequacy
and accuracy of this information.”
Reason: To emphasize the fact that inspection and
verification must be conducted on a continuing basis with a scope
enlarging with the degree of disclosure.
c. Change the third sentence of paragraph 3 to
read:
“It is necessary for each State to know
disclose the level of its armed forces and armaments of every other State in order to be certain
permit a determination that the
its armed establishment of each State is really for defense
and not to menace others.”
Reason: For clarity. The implication and meaning
of this sentence in the basic paper are not clear.
d. delete paragraph 4c in
its entirety and reletter subsequent subparagraphs accordingly.
Reason: The Joint Chiefs of Staff hold to their
view that no reference should be made or implied at this time as to a
possible formula upon which the level of armaments and armed forces
might be based. While the size of the national military establishment
does bear a relationship to the population and to the national product
as a whole, the Joint Chiefs of Staff are unwilling to accept reference
to a formula based upon percentages of the national resources to be
employed for the military establishment. Furthermore, the adoption of
population factors as a criteria for determining future force levels and
armaments would appear most unfavorable from a U.S. viewpoint. It is,
therefore, considered that the factor of population as a yardstick for
determining appropriate armament levels should be judiciously avoided.
Again, it is believed that specific figures, such as “5 percent”, would
inevitably be seized upon by other nations as a statement indicating the
United States position on the matter. With respect to the composition of
armed forces and armaments, the Joint Chiefs of Staff are unwilling to
agree to any United States position which would tend to prevent the
United States from apportioning its armed forces among the three
Services in such a manner as the strategic position of the United States
may dictate. The United States must retain the right to apportion its
forces and armaments so as best to overcome its relative deficiencies in
manpower and to capitalize upon its industrial strength.
e. Change subparagraph 4f,
relettered subparagraph 4e, to read as
follows:
“Once a program for the regulation, limitation and balanced reduction
of all armed forces and armaments has been agreed upon in the United
Nations, the details of the mutually agreed several national programs should be developed within the
framework of the United Nations program through conferences under
United Nations auspices.”
Reason: For clarity.
f. Change the last sentence of paragraph 7 to
read as follows:
“Such negotiation, if good faith is consistently demonstrated, may
then lead to a workable agreement that armed
forces should
[Page 551]
be limited, to the level of a fixed
percent of population with a ceiling for any one country of an
agreed maximum figure and with comparable restrictions on the
armaments of such forces
for the limitation of armed forces.”
Reason: Same as for the deletion of subparagraph
4 c (as stated in subparagraph 1 d above).
2. The Joint Chiefs of Staff suggest the following additional minor
changes:
-
a.
- Insert the words “None the less” at the beginning of the
second sentence of paragraph 1; and
-
b.
- Insert the word “such” between the words “conclusion of” and
“an effective” in first line of paragraph 8.
For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:
Omar N. Bradley
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
