611.52/6–1650
Memorandum by the President to the Secretary of State
top secret
Washington, June 16,
1950.
I have been studying the National Security Council report by the Secretary of Defense on the United States policy toward Germany and Spain.1
These two reports are decidedly militaristic and in my opinion not realistic with present conditions. I wish you would look them over carefully and discuss them with me Monday when you come in for the conference.2
H[arry] S. T[ruman]
- Documentation regarding the NSC 71 series on the rearmament of Germany is scheduled for publication in volume iv; for the text of NSC 72, see Bradley’s memorandum, supra, and footnote 3 thereto.↩
- At their meeting on June 19 Secretary Acheson reviewed the position of the Department of State on Spain and Germany and offered to put them in short memoranda for President Truman. Two memoranda on Spain were prepared, one for the President and one for the National Security Council. The former is in substance the same as the latter which is printed, p. 1570, as NSC 72/1. (S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351: NSC 72 Series) NSC 71/1, July 3, position on Germany, is scheduled for publication in volume iv.↩