PPS files, lot 64 D 563, “Chronological, 1953”

Memorandum by the Executive Secretary of the Policy Planning Staff (Watts) 1

top secret
  • Subject:
  • “Solarium”, Task Force Reports2

Mr. Bowie has directed me to send you the attached copies of the “Solarium” Task Force Reports. For your information, a brief history of the project is set forth below.

1.
On the initiative of the President and under the general direction of the Under Secretary of State, the Director of CIA, and Mr. [Page 442] Cutler, a project was undertaken to reassess our basic national strategy in the face of the Soviet threat. The project was given the name of “Solarium”.
2.
As a means of defining the alternatives and presenting the problem clearly for NSC consideration, it was decided to lay out three separate lines of national strategy and to call together a group of official and unofficial individuals to work as separate Task Forces in exploring and defending the three main alternative strategies. Each Task Force was made up of seven members, five specially chosen and two members of the current graduating class of the National War College.
3.
The three Task Forces undertook respectively to defend the following three national strategies:
a.
Present policy as set forth in NSC 153/1,3 with such improvements and changes in emphasis as might seem desirable;
b.
The drawing of a line beyond which the United States would not permit Soviet or satellite military forces to move without provoking general war;
c.
A more dynamic and aggressive strategy aimed at creating a climate of victory and reducing Soviet power.
4.
The three Task Forces presented their conclusions orally to the NSC on July 164 and at the same time submitted their full reports.
5.
The NSC referred these reports to the Planning Board for consideration in terms of a re-definition of basic national security policy, taking into account the views and recommendations of all three Task Forces in connection with the attached memorandum on “Points for Consideration in Drafting New Policy”.5 These points were accepted by NSC as guidelines for further study of the problems involved. The Planning Board set up an ad hoc committee representing State, Defense, JCS, CIA, Mr. Cutler’s office, and representatives of the three Task Forces to coordinate these studies.

It now devolves upon the agencies concerned to undertake the basic studies called for. Mr. Bowie hopes that you or an officer designated by you will give urgent attention to those phases which are within your area and that appropriate members of your staff will be available to work with S/P on developing the basic studies.

Project “Solarium” has been kept under very close security restrictions, and special care should be taken to hold down distribution of the attached documents as far as possible.

  1. Addressed to the following Assistant Secretaries of State: Merchant for European Affairs; Robertson for Far Eastern Affairs; Byroade for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs; and Waugh for Economic Affairs. It was also sent to Nolting, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Mutual Security Affairs.
  2. Not found in Department of State files. For summaries of the Project Solarium presentations and written reports prepared by the NSC Staff and concurred in by the Solarium Task Force representatives, see p. 399.
  3. Dated June 10, p. 378.
  4. See the minutes of the 155th meeting of the NSC, p. 394.
  5. Same as the memorandum by Cutler, July 31, 1953, supra.