Synopsis A, The Adoption of the Military Assistance Program - July-October, 1949
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THE ADOPTION OF THE MILITARY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM July-October 1949 Synopsis A
Debate and ratification of
Senate debate on the North Atlantic Treaty opened
North Atlantic Treaty
on July 5th. On the 9th Connally maintained that a
vote for the Treaty did not constitute an obligation
to support the military aid program. On the 12th the
new Senator Dulles supported ratification and
mutual aid, noting the United States was not obli-
gated to give military aid to any specific state.
On the 13th, at a press conference, DGA replied to
a floor statement by Wherry by indicating that there
were no implied commitments in the Treaty, and,
specifically, that there was no implied commitment
of military aid for 10 years. DGA also said, indi-
cating concern over the talk of aid cuts, that he
believed that $ 1.45 billion was the minimum re-
quired for a foreign military assistance program.
G. ARCHIVES *NATIONAL SERVICE" RECORDS AND
After defeating (decisively) several reservations,
the Senate approved the Treaty by a vote of 82 to
NS
13 on July 21. HST signed the instrument of ratifi-
cation on the 25th and on August 24th the Treaty
went into effect.
An MAP proposed
Also on July 25th HST submitted a message to
Congress asking for approval of a draft "Foreign
Military Assistance Act of 1949. " (Later changed
to the "Mutual Defense Assistance Act.") $ 1. 45
billion was the total sum requested for the
fiscal year, of which $ 1.093 billion was to go to
the Treaty countries that had requested aid. HST's
message explained that proposals were not being
advanced for specific commitments to particular
countries, since it was considered advisable that
allocations be made "as circumstances require. "
Criticism of the
Criticism of the original bill was varied, but
proposal
seemed to center around Vandenberg's contention
that the program was "too wide in scope and too
general in grant of power" (i.e., to the President
with respect to the use of the projected funds).
The Senator suggested that "since some sort of
action is necessary before adjournment.
study
should be given to an interim measure while major
plans await reports to the next Congress under
Article 9 of the North Atlantic Treaty. " (Article
9 provides for the establishment of a defense
committee to work out a co-operative defense plan--
this was done in October.)
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