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11/15/1948 - American Aid to Turkey Program by Richard D. Robinson

FOR PUBLIC TION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS RDR Robert College Istanbul Turkey November Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Rogers Over month I talked U S administrators American Aid Turkey Programs Major General Horace Logan McBride Chief U S Army Group Turkey Major General Earl Seeley Hoag Chief U S Air Force Group Rear Admiral Thomas G W Settle Chief U S Navy Group Jessie E Williams civillan Chief Highway Group During Jeeping through Asiatic Turkey something Program action All I think gotten pretty picture American Aid It subject I write In doing I stress confidential nature letter American military officials Anara freely predict first surprise Russi comes would lightnin drive through Iran Middle Eastern Oil vital Western democracies If struck unthinkable Soviet Union would could leave frankly hostile Turkey flank vancing armies Military circles point coincidental south through Irma pronged Soviet attack would probably Turkey attempt knock struggle Turkey unable support military force equal threat That primarily reason American Aid pouring country The entire Aid appropriation I00 million dollars going armaments strategic communications military training The breakdown various projects Army Nav3 Air Public Roads Arsenals Thus second appropriation Greece Turkey apportioned between countries The U S State Department reserved right divide amount later Such division probably awaiting close present campaign Greece announced early Page In words Army General McBride incidentally Soviet decorations credit The purpose Aid Program increase combat potential Turkish armed forces The present Aid Program would Russians would General There enough stuff taking Turkey Soviet Union would expensive proposition A Russians would killed That It cheaper Turkish manpower simply supplying equipment bring American fight However General Our mission strictly supply training actual opera We direct planning defense Turkey However asked always advice Air General Hoag famed supplying China Himalayan added We dollars spent Turkey other country except United States itself The Turks spirit cooperation purpose amazing This money dividends America He point Turkey strategic force designed cooperate support ground troops However though small Turkish Air Force important anything happens continued General Admiral Settle declared With characteristic bluntness The Order Alexander Nevsky Order War Fatherland During World War II General commanded Infantry Division Europe later XX Corps finally Division His assignment before coming Turkey command First Service Co mmand Boston Personally lanky shrewd formal I believe somewhat bitter about general Served commander India China Wing Air Transport Command I Was Deputy Director Research Development War Department General Staff before coming Turkey The General frank friendly cautious Is prone speak record great length The Admiral achieved considerable personal Chicago World Fair record breaking stratosphere balloon ascent During World War II commanded US3 Portland heavy cruiser Pacific His assignment before coming Turkey Chief Naval Airship Training Experimenta Lakehrst New Jersey The Admiral noted modesty alarming frankness charming geniality We defend American defense The Turk idealist He siding because hates Communism Russians because knows Russians surrender sovereignty The Turk wants country including As Turkish General commented Ship Turks would fight They would every combat effectiveness Most vital military question Aid Program whether worth risking large quantities American vulnerable frontier which might crumble rapidly before Red Army advance The question Would better equipment United States strategic front events crystallize rather possibly outset Turkey Furthermore skilled American soldier mechanics would doubt equipment better advantage trained Turks It should pointed American arriving Turkey latest could perfectly U S Armed Forces I depots To quote General McBride Thus majority equipment surplus Army stocks It modern equipment includes stuff Surplus stocks depleted additional equipment purchased price Air General Hoag points present procurement equipment under Aid Plan actually competing VO group Air Force expansion program The equipment received Turkey Admiral Settle surplus U S Navy needs He point however smalavy moment Many ships lying mothballs Clearly impli cation naval equipment being could United States event trouble Despite these facts still consensus American military opinion Soviet delay weeks Turkey would worth terms possibly American armaments That short delay might important Western defense strategy At least American newspaperman I record However personal impression manner which Generals Admiral these declarati6ns would ocher namely these gentlemen convinced their minds actually Last Fall local consul U S Consulate Istanbul American officials considered Aid Program propaganda tanks longer United States The latter statement definitely However psychological value Turkey strip actual material benefits derived either party American officials Turkey frankly admit Aid Program beset serious problems For Turkish Army personnel policy Thus amount wasted The Turkish Army organized along rigid Prussian caste lines All highschool collee graduates become officers without difficulty Enlisted regardless proven capacity cannot Men rarely assigned tasks because their ability There trade classifications intellince tests Further enlisted personnel wasted serving personal needs officers rather training increase combat strength A Turkish officer rarely crawls under machine repair Even would dirty under machines His might their respect The American Army enlisted cases instruct Turkish officers rankled A second problem Turkish Army large existin equipment training finances All Turks spend years military service This means Turkish Army numbers least possibly million Total Turkish population about A smaller better trained equipped force would bably effective For instance Turkish private barely cents month This means there virtually professional soldiers other officers On other Turk extremely loyal patriotic disciplined He stron feeling nationality urgency I asked General McBride point blank whether Turkish Arm large His answer I comment We Turks their country That political problem The General opinion subject quite obvious A third problem absence mechanical background average Turkish enlisted Air General Hoag The difficulty conscriptees complicated piece machinery before coming service wooden They hardly difference between hammer screw driver This quite different American brought Jalopy Thus maintenance standards Turkish Army understandably General McBride admitted The Turkish Army tough keeping equipment going which given Obviously problem trainin organi zation merely equipping Under American tutelage schools every branch armed forces operation heavy highway construction equipment ganized Many these training establishments compare favorably See letters description schools their American counterparts Without doubt remarkable Job being In retooling military training Turkish authorities responded wholehearted cooperation enthusiasm The equip Turkish Armed Forces American larders forward rapidly To upwards material ordered under million dollar appropriation delivered Turkey That quite schedule Just Turkish inland transpor tation warehousing handling their limit So Turkish Army If faster would swamped reports General McBride The Aid Program without unpleasant undertone It American psrsonnel warned mention subject their Turkish colleagues General McBride replied question subJect It would write about The trouble All Americans Turkey working Aid Program private through general civilian receive I above other allowances salary This supposed cover living Turkey comes directly milli dollar appropriation This makes possible American private receive Turkish general infrequently I talked American sergeant Air Force Instancewhose monthly expenses amount about SVB His check reads month This living allowance amounts person VI0 Ii Aid officials years program almost entire Aid appropriation And living differential exclusive salaries standard allowances family length service overseas On based A State Department survey I General McBride And living allowance State Department personnel Turkey short figure Nor figure Justified stretch imagination Actually living Turkey other possibly Ankara capital lower United States using legal exchange And American Aid personnel Turkey receive dollar checks which readily black market least fourth higher dollar starved merchants official exchange The Turkish public learned situation story bound sooner later When reaction going The great Turkish prestige United States people noted their wealth Page Thus however American Turk military gotten along together extraordinarily Admiral Settle previous service Turkish waters analyzed situa Before every nation which involved training equipping Turkish Armed Forces grind The Turks However consider idealists treat differently I thought among Turkish officials United States merely using Turkey The extent confidence which Turks place sometimes embarrassing We taken things which vital Our departure Istanbul delayed these UNESCO session which I wished attend We finally getting under tomorrow Winter quarters Gazlantep Sincerely yours Richard D Robinson Our address until further notice Amerikan Hastanesi Gaziantep Turkey The Admiral Naval Forces Europe destroyer division which operated Black Sea Mediterranean during This division aided Near East Relief evacua Russian refugees Crimea During Admiral spent little Turkey In knows Turkish Navy Group Rear Adm Thomas GW Settle persons Schools Electronics Ordinance Gunnery Mine Warfare Sweeping Dama Control Firefighting Naval Shipyard Industrial Submarine ORGANIZATION THE UNITED STATES AID MISSION IN TURKEY As September Head lission George Wadsworth U S Ambassador Turke Military Coordinator Gen Horace L NcBride MaJ Senior 0fficer Army Group Air Group Highway Group NaJ Gen Horac MaJ Gen Earl Chief Jessie L cBride S Hoag Williams persons persons pers0ns_ Schools Shools Schools Anti aircraft Pilot training Operation Signal Radio Heavy Highway ledical Mechanics Equipment Ordinance Meteorology Infantry Supply Artillery Motor Transport Engineer SourceI All named above except Ambassador Received New York