Office of the Historian

Eisenhower Library, White House Office, Office of Staff Secretary records, 1952–61

Notes on the Legislative Leadership Meeting, Held at the White House, December 13, 19541

confidential
December 13, 1954, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 2:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
  • The following were present:
  • President Eisenhower
  • Vice President Nixon
  • Sen. Knowland
  • Sen. Bridges
  • Sen. Millikin
  • Sen. Saltonstall
  • Sen. Ferguson
  • Speaker Martin
  • Rep. Halleck
  • Rep. Arends
  • Rep. Allen
  • Gov. Adams
  • Gen. Persons
  • Mr. Shanley
  • Mr. Hagerty
  • Mr. Snyder
  • Mr. Morgan
  • Mr. Randall
  • Mr. Jack Martin
  • Mr. Harlow
  • Mr. Gruenther
  • Dr. Hauge
  • Mr. Minnich
  • Sec. Dulles
  • Asst. Sec. Thruston Morton
  • Sec. Humphrey
  • Sec. Wilson
  • Asst. Sec. McNeil
  • Asst. Sec. Carter Burgess
  • Asst. Sec. Seaton
  • Asst. Sec. Struve Hensel
  • Mr. Summerfield
  • Asst PMG Lyons
  • Mr. Ben Guill
  • Sec. Benson
  • Sec. Mitchell
  • Sec. Hobby
  • Under Sec. Rockefeller
  • Asst. Sec. Perkins
  • Director Hughes, Budget
  • Mr. Brundage
  • Gov. Stassen, FOA
  • Chrm. Young, CSC
  • Mr. Albert Cole, HHFA
  • Dr. Milton Eisenhower

The President opened the meeting by noting that the past year had left much unfinished business, which would constitute a large part of the program for the coming year, and that there would not be a great deal of material new to the Leaders. He felt the task of getting a program through would be more difficult because of Democratic control of the Congress, that there would have to be some experimentation on procedures in dealing with this new situation, [Page 810] but that it was helpful to have already developed pretty well procedures for doing business among Republicans.

[Here follows discussion of budget and fiscal matters, foreign policy, and defense matters.]

Mutual Security—Mr. Stassen pointed out that FOA continued to be responsible for preparing and presenting the program for the following year even though it would no longer be in business. How to handle the program after June 30th was something for the President and Congress to decide.

Mr. Stassen then outlined a “Partnership Program” stressing that the bulk of the program would be devoted to Korea and Indo-China, that the entire program was developed on the basis of strengthening places where we had airbases or helping places where it was to our interest to keep the Communists from establishing airbases.

Sen. Knowland expressed his disappointment that the Yugoslavs had abstained from the vote (UN?) expressing moral indignation as to the 13 prisoners. Mr. Bridges asked about rumors that the Russians and the Yugoslavs were growing together again. Mr. Stassen said the Russians had a drive on for this purpose but that we will succeed in holding Yugoslavia out of the orbit.

Mr. Stassen then quickly went over charts showing the heavy drain of security measures on the economies of our friends in the Asian area, also regarding trade of Japan, Pakistan, etc. For Iran, our assistance will be returned to a loan basis rather than grant. The President noted that he was having lunch with the Shah, also that our desire was for Iran to strengthen its force of 90,000 men rather than enlarging it. Mr. Stassen also showed charts on our raw material requirements for future years and where they must come from as related to our mutual security program; a chart on the intensified Russian effort in economic warfare; one on the Agricultural Surplus Program, and another on US Private Investment Abroad.

Mr. Hensel presented the Mutual Defense Assistance Program, stating that the big problem involved the switches in programs to meet emergencies. Many major ones had already occurred this year that could not be foreseen when the program was presented to Congress earlier in 1954. He and Mr. McNeil answered a number of questions from Senators Knowland and Bridges about carryovers and bookkeeping procedures.

[Here follows discussion of the trade program, miscellaneous matters, reciprocal trade, the highway and health programs, various labor and agricultural matters, postal rates and pay, housing, and the “Buy American” program. For text of the section on the trade program, see page 218.]

  1. Drafted by Assistant Staff Secretary to the President, L. Arthur Minnich, Jr. The source text indicates the meeting was held from 8:30 a.m. to noon and resumed at 2:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.↩