Office of the Historian

PPS Files, Lot 64 D 563

Record of the Meeting of the Steering Committee on NSC 68, Washington, June 21, 1951, 2:30 p. m.1

Washington, June 21, 1951, 2:30 p.m.
top secret

United States Objectives and Programs for National Security (NSC 68 series; NSC Action No. 487 a;2 Record of Meeting of Senior NSC Staffs June 14, item 3)

Discussed the procedure for preparation of the reports called for by NSC Action No. 487 a and agreed:

a.
That the Senior State Member, with the assistance of representatives from Defense and CIA, should prepare an analysis of changes in the world situation since the preparation of NSC 68 affecting United States objectives and programs for national security.
b.
That as a first step in the review of the status of the programs described in NSC 68/4 rough outline notes should be prepared and oral presentations made for the information of the Steering Committee on the programs described in NSC 68/4, and that each such note and presentation should take into account the following questions:
(1)
What is the present program?
(2)
To what extent has this program been completed?
(3)
What are the difficulties being encountered or anticipated in completing this program?
(4)
What is the estimated adequacy and timing of the present program?
c.
Upon the following assignment of responsibilities for preparation of the notes and presentations referred to above:
  • The Military and Mobilization Programs—Defense and ODM (through Mr. Nash3 and Mr. Mitchell4)
  • Foreign Military and Economic Assistance—ISAC (through Mr. Gordon)5
  • The Civil Defense Program—Federal Civil Defense Administration (through Mr. Lay)
  • The Stockpiling Program—Defense and ODM (through Mr. Nash and Mr. Mitchell)
  • The Information Program—State (through Mr. Nitze)
  • Intelligence and Belated Activities—CIA (through Mr. Lay)
  • Internal Security—ICIS and IIC (through Mr. Coyne)6

  1. Transmitted by Max W. Bishop, State Department NSC Staff Assistant, to John H. Ferguson, Deputy Director of the Policy Planning Staff, and H. Freeman Matthews, Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, on June 27.↩
  2. Regarding NSC Action No. 487, see footnote 4, p. 88.↩
  3. Frank C. Nash, Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense; Defense Member on the Senior Staff of the National Security Council.↩
  4. J. Murray Mitchell, Senior Staff Assistant to the Director of the Office of Defense Mobilization; ODM Member on the Senior Staff of the National Security Council.↩
  5. Lincoln Gordon, Assistant to the Deputy Administrator, Economic Cooperation Administration.↩
  6. J. Patrick Coyne, National Security Council Representative on Internal Security.↩