PPS files, lot 64 D 563, “Review of NSC 68 & 114”
Memorandum by the Counselor (Bohlen) to the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Nitze)1
- Subject:
- U.S. Objectives and Programs for National Security
As a result of its consideration of NSC 114/2, the National Security Council issued the following directive (Action 575c):2
“Directed the Senior NSC Staff to submit for Council consideration at the earliest practicable date a reappraisal of the policies and programs set forth in the NSC 68 and 114 Series, including a revision of Part I of NSC 114/2 and in light of:
A Steering Committee of the NSC Senior Staff consisting of the representatives of State, Defense, JCS, CIA and ODM was set up to produce a response to this directive. The Steering Committee decided that a start should be made toward drafting a paper which would be generally responsive to the directive without waiting to receive the net capability study referred to in the above quoted direction [Page 18] No. 575c. A drafting group consisting of the respective Staff Assistants of the Steering Committee Members was asked to produce a first rough draft to serve as a basis for discussion. The attached is that rough draft5 and it is in reality the product only of the drafting group, has no other status, and represents only the views of the members of that subcommittee. Part I “The Bases of Soviet Action”, however, was written in the first instance in this office and substantially represents my views.
The present tentative outline of the entire study calls for at least one other part in which past, present and future overall strategy would be discussed and recommendations made thereon.
There will be a preliminary Steering Committee meeting on this draft on Thursday, May 22 to be followed early next week by a second Steering Committee meeting at which it is expected that the members will be in a position to advance the tentative views of their respective departments. I would therefore like to have your comments on the attached draft in my hands no later than noon on Monday, May 26. In making your comments, please bear in mind that you will be given opportunity to see and comment on further drafts and that therefore for this first round general comments rather than suggested drafting changes would be more useful.
Please send your comments in duplicate to this office and another copy to S/P.
- Also sent to George C. Perkins, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs; John M. Allison, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs; Burton Y. Berry, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs; Willard L. Thorp, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs; and W. Park Armstrong, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Intelligence.↩
- See footnote 1, p. 5.↩
- For documentation on Soviet nuclear explosions, see pp. 1185 ff.↩
- See footnote 4, supra.↩
- Not printed, but see the editorial note, p. 56.↩