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{
    "localId": "290018042",
    "label": "Letter from Secretary of War Henry Stimson to President Harry S. Truman, with Attachments",
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    "id": "290018042",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Letter from Secretary of War Henry Stimson to President Harry S. Truman, with Attachments",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/290018042",
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 11,
            "logicalDate": "1945-05-11",
            "month": 5,
            "year": 1945
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{
    "seq": 2,
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    "ocrText": "TOP SECRET\nDECLASSIFIED\nE. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E)\nOSD letter, April 12, 1974\nWAR DEPARTMENT\nBy NLT-\nHI\n,\nNARS\nDate\nWASHINGTON\n7-16-75\nDUPLICATE ORIGINAL\nMay 11, 1945.\nThe President\nThe White House\nDear Mr. President:\nFor the \"full and mutual protection\" of the Philippines area after\nindependence is granted, close cooperation by the Filipinos with United\nStates military forces will be required. With such cooperation, United\nStates military responsibilities should be limited to those which are\nbeyond the capabilities of the Filipinos. Since the Filipinos will\nprobably be unable to provide substantial air and naval forces and will\nrequire a number of years to develop their ground forces, the United\nStates should be prepared to meet requirements for air and naval forces\nand, initially, to provide nearly all ground forces. In order to proceed\nwith detailed discussions and staff studies, it is most desirable that\nagreement in principle be obtained to the points set forth in the at-\ntached tab.\nAccording to the plan envisaged by the attached principles, major\nair centers in Central Luzon and Northern Mindanao, with rings of out-\nlying fighter fields, will be the basis for the United States Army mili-\ntary security system for the Philippines. In addition, staging and mount-\ning bases, and ground garrison installations to protect air bases, harbor\nentrances, and other critical points will be required. It is contemplated\nthat the Filipinos will take over a large proportion of the ground respon-\nsibilities as the military effectiveness of their forces increases.\nIn accordance with the foregoing, a constant screening of United\nStates base sites should release to the Filipinos sites as they become\nsurplus to United States needs. As they gain in effectiveness, the\nFilipino forces should be accorded increasing participation in the use\nof certain United States bases. The detailed Army base requirements should\nbe worked out in military staff conversations and detailed surveys con-\nducted by General MacArthur. Damage or destruction incurred during the\nand base construction now or to be carried out may influence the choice\nwar of sites to be retained in the base system. Pending the screening mentioned\nabove, base sites as indicated in the attached statement of principles\nshould be retained.\nPRATIONAL\nARCHIVES\nTOP SECRET"
}