Editorial Note

Throughout the first three weeks of September 1953, the Special Committee on Project Solarium continued to draft, consider, and debate various papers designed to articulate a new basic national security policy. The draft papers fell under three general headings: general objectives, general courses of action, and specific regional and economic policy statements. On September 18, Lay circulated to the Planning Board of the National Security Council a 42-page [Page 464] draft statement of policy on the subject “Review of Basic National Security Policy” for consideration by the Planning Board at its meeting on September 22. Prior to that meeting, Policy Planning Staff Director Robert R. Bowie received draft comments on the draft policy statement from S/AE, NEA, OIR, and FE. Following that meeting, further proposed changes in the draft policy statement were submitted to Bowie by Henry Owen of OIR Copies of the draft papers under reference are in PPS files, lot 64 D 563, NSC 153–162, “Chronological, 1953”, and “Review of Basic National Security Policy, Aug–Sept, 1953 (Preview to NSC 162)”. A copy of the Lay memorandum of September 18 enclosing the 42-page draft statement of policy “Review of Basic National Security Policy” is in S/PNSC files, lot 61 D 167, “Solarium”. The comments on this draft policy statement from S/AE, NEA, OIR and FE are in PPS files, lot 64 D 563, “NSC 153–162, Sept–Dec, 1953”. On September 25, Bowie transmitted an 11-page “redraft of the Conclusions of the NSC ‘Solarium’ paper of September 18” to Under Secretary Smith, Counselor MacArthur, and other Bureau chiefs within the Department of State. A copy of this paper is in PPS files, lot 64 D 563, “NSC 153–162, Sept–Dec, 1953”. On September 30, Lay transmitted to the NSC a draft paper on the subject of basic national security policy. For text, see page 489.