Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, National Security Affairs; Foreign Economic Policy, Volume I

S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63D351: NSC 68 Series

Memorandum by the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Lovett) to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay)¹

top secret

Washington, 20 November 1950.

Enclosed are summary statements of forces tentatively recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in support of NSC–68/1, and a statement of the assumptions on which tentative cost estimates have been prepared by the Military Departments in terms of new obligational authority for fiscal years 1951–1955, inclusive, as requested by the National Security Council.

The Department of Defense proposes to continue its review of the statement of forces, the estimated costs, and the assumptions upon which these costs were based. If as a result of this review any substantial modification of the inclosed estimates appears advisable, you will be promptly notified.

Robert A. Lovett²

[Annex]

Memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Marshall)

top secret

Washington, 19 November 1950.

Subject: U.S. Objectives and Programs for National Security (NSC 68)

1. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed their memorandum to you, subject as above, dated 1 September 1950.³ They reaffirm that, so long as the basic concepts of NSC 68/1 are adhered to, the forces set forth in the enclosures to their memorandum of 1 September 1950^* are, from the military point of view, the minimum necessary to fulfill the fundamental obligations of:

a. Protection against disaster,

b. Support of our foreign policy.

2. In accomplishing the current review, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been mindful of their memorandum to you dated 13 November 1950⁴ and have given consideration to your memorandum to them dated 17 November 1950.⁴ The appendices hereto maintain the forces contained in the memorandum of 13 November 1950, but reflect an effort by the Services and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with respect to manpower and costs, to arrive at a reasonable compromise between military requirements and other considerations. Attention is invited to the fact that personnel and cost estimates contained herein were prepared in a very brief time and that the Joint Chiefs of Staff have not been able jointly to screen the manpower and materiel requirements. Such an examination should be made more thoroughly prior to implementation.

3. The programs described herein impose a lowered military posture which, in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, increases the risk with respect to our ability to defeat the probable enemy in the event of global conflict. The Joint Chiefs of Staff would also emphasize that whatever future annual program objectives are established the practicability of attaining them will inevitably be influenced in high degree by the budgetary actions taken for Fiscal Years 1951 and 1952. A solid base must be established in these two years if successful achievement of objectives of any effective future programs is to be realized.

4. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are mindful that any programs adopted for long-range planning guidance must be kept under continuing review, being responsive to changes in the political-economic-military situation and also recognizing the presently estimated need in 1954 for the forces as submitted to you on 1 September 1950.

5. If, after due consideration of the increased risks involved, it is determined that there are compelling reasons for reducing program objectives even below those submitted in our memorandum of 13 November 1950, the revisions enclosed herewith are forwarded for this purpose as follows:

Appendix “A”—Army Programs

Appendix “B”—Navy Programs

Appendix “C”—Air Force Programs⁵

6. The following general assumptions apply to all the Service programs contained in the appendices hereto:

a. Hostilities in Korea will terminate by 30 June 1951.

b. The forces and end strengths shown for FY 1951 will be approved.

c. The general level of forces and end strengths shown for FY 1952 will be maintained throughout the following three fiscal years.

d. Funds for the procurement of war reserves are phased and balanced over the four-year period from FY 1952 through FY 1955. Only a minimum of war reserves are provided for during FY 1951.

e. Programmed readiness levels in war reserves will be attained by the end of FY 1956. However, procurement programs and production capacity will be adjusted to the extent practicable so as to attain the capability of rapid acceleration of production if the world situation indicates the necessity of reaching materiel readiness levels prior to the end of FY 1956.

f. Prices are based generally on an average increase of 10% over those contained in the President’s budget for Fiscal Year 1951.

For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

General Omar N. Bradley

1. Transmitted by Lay to the members of the National Security Council, the Secretaries of the Treasury and Commerce, the Economic Cooperation Administrator, the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, and the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers on November 20.
2. The initials of Secretary of Defense Marshall appear below Lovett’s signature on the source text.
3. Not found in the files of the Department of State.
4. See Annex No. 1 to NSC 68/1. [Handwritten footnote in the source text. NSC 68/1 and its annexes are not printed; for NSC 68/3 and its annexes, December 8, see pp. 425 and 432, respectively.]
4. Not found in Department of State files.
4. Not found in Department of State files.
5. Appendices “A”, “B”, and “C” are not reproduced herein.