Editorial Note

On April 30, President Eisenhower actively pursued the basic national security policies set forth in NSC 149/2. On that day, the President submitted a Special Message to Congress transmitting Reorganization Plan No. 6 of 1953 concerning the Department of Defense. At the same time, he held a news conference in which he prefaced questions and answers with a brief statement concerning the future course of national defense policy in relation to cost. The text of the President’s Special Message to Congress is printed in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953, pages 225–238; for the transcript of the President’s news conference, see ibid., pages 238–252.

Also on April 30, President Eisenhower and members of his administration met with key Congressional leaders including Senators Taft (R., Ohio), Bridges (R., N. H.), Knowland (R., Calif.), Millikin (R., Colo.), Saltonstall (R., Mass.), Hickenlooper (R., Iowa), [Page 317] Wiley (R., Wisc.), and Ferguson (R., Mich.) as well as Representatives Martin (R., Mass.), Halleck (R., Ind.), Arends (R., Ill.), Taber (R., N. Y.), Short (R., Mo.), Reed (R., Ind.), Chiperfield (R., Ill.), Cole (R., N. Y.), and Wigglesworth (R., Mass.). The purpose of the meeting, the President stated, was to talk “about the difficulties of the economic situation.” He first read NSC 149/2 and spoke of reducing the Truman administration’s fiscal year 1954 budget by $8.4 billion. “The President dealt at length with the dual threat facing the United States: the external threat of Communism and the internal threat of a weakened economy. He asserted that the Administration would follow a new policy which would continue to give primary consideration to the external threat but would no longer ignore the internal threat.” The President then stressed the terrible expense of existing “security programs”, alluding specifically to NSC 141 of January 19, 1953 (for text, see page 209). He further stated that the policy of his administration would be to seek to avoid weakening the economy while providing adequate security.

Following this presentation, administration and Congressional leaders discussed at length the problem of national security policies and programs in relation to cost. Senator Taft “stated his assumption that this meeting had been called to secure the comments of the [Congressional] Leaders, and he said he could not possibly express the deepness of his disappointment at the program the Administration presented today. The net result of it, he thought, would be to spend as much as Mr. Truman spent. Either there would be a large deficit or Congress would have to levy new taxes. It would be impossible to elect a Republican Congress in 1954 if this were to be the Administration program.” Secretary of the Treasury George Humphrey “expressed his agreement with much of what Senator Taft had said, but he wanted it considered that this had been only a three-month start on the problem, and that the Administration would be keeping on for the next fifteen months.” Senator Taft “rejoined that a whole new study was needed.” Secretary Humphrey said “that was impossible in the three months available.”

The meeting concluded with a brief discussion of the statement to be made to the press. Senator Taft “preferred Mr. Martin to make the statement in view of his own reservations.” A copy of the nine-page “Notes on the Legislative Leadership Meeting,” held at the White House on April 30 is in the Eisenhower Library, White House Staff Secretary records, 1952–61.