306. Letter From the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Davis)1

Dear Admiral Davis: I take pleasure in referring to your letter of January 24, 1955,2 requesting the Department of State to concur in a proposal of the Defense Department that United States military representatives initiate exploratory discussions with Brazilian military [Page 645] representatives on the subject of United States military facilities urgently required in Brazil.3

On the assumption that the approach to Brazilian military representatives will be made through the Joint Brazil-United States Military Commission, at Rio de Janeiro, the Department of State concurs in the Department of Defense proposal. The State Department would of course have no objection to United States military representatives being sent to Brazil for the purpose of assisting and advising United States members of the Joint Brazil-United States Military Commission during the exploratory discussions.

The Department of State would appreciate it if the Department of Defense would communicate the results of the exploratory discussions to the State Department as necessary background for any subsequent diplomatic negotiations which may be required for the purpose of obtaining the consent of the Brazilian Government to the establishment of United States military facilities in Brazil.

Sincerely yours,

Robert Murphy4
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56332/1–2455. Secret. Drafted by Spencer on February 17 and rewritten by Robert Murphy on February 19.
  2. In this letter, Vice Admiral A.C. Davis, USN, requested Department of State concurrence in opening military discussions with Brazilian representatives. (Ibid.)
  3. The Department of Defense required a U.S. Army communications facility and a U.S. Air Force guided missile tracking station.
  4. Printed from a copy which bears this typed signature.