Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Germany and Austria, Volume VII, Part 2

Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file

No. 595
Memorandum of Discussion at the 174th Meeting of the National Security Council, Thursday, December 10, 1953¹

top secret
eyes only

December 10, 1953

Present at the 174th Council meeting were the President of the United States, presiding; the Secretary of State; the Secretary of Defense; the Acting Director, Foreign Operations Administration; the Director, Office of Defense Mobilization. The Vice President did not attend because of his absence from the country. Also present were the Secretary of the Treasury; the Director, Bureau of the Budget; the Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission; the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Director of Central Intelligence; Frank C. Nash, Assistant Secretary of Defense; Gen. Porter, Foreign Operations Administration; the Assistant to the President; Robert Cutler, Special Assistant to the President; C.D. Jackson, Special Assistant to the President; the Deputy Assistant to the President (for Items 1, 2 and 3); Maurice Arth, Foreign Operations Administration (for Item 5); the Acting White House Staff Secretary; the Acting Executive Secretary, NSC; and the Coordinator, NSC Planning Board Assistants.

There follows a summary of the discussion at the meeting and the main points taken.

[Here follows discussion of items 1–3, significant world developments affecting United States security, the Bermuda Conference, and the upcoming North Atlantic Council meeting. For text of items 2 and 3, see volume V, Part 2, page 1847, and ibid., Part 1, page 450, respectively.]

4. United States Policy and Courses of Action To Counter Possible Soviet or Satellite Action Against Berlin (NSC 173; Memo from Executive Secretary, same subject, dated December 9, 1953²)

. . . . . . .

Mr. Cutler than analyzed the Financial Appendix to the Berlin paper, pointing out the cheerful prospect of an expenditure more greatly reduced than had initially been anticipated.

Secretary Dulles inquired whether we proposed to cut out economic as opposed to military aid to Berlin. Mr. Rand answered that it was not proposed to cut out all economic aid, but to reduce it from the $37 million level for Fiscal 1953, which the State Department had originally recommended, to perhaps $20 million. Secretary Dulles commented that he would not deal with the actual level, but did wish to stress the importance of continuing at least some limited economic assistance to Berlin because of the city’s enormous symbolic importance. Even token assistance would be better than none.

The President, Admiral Radford, and other members of the Council concurred in this view of the Secretary of State, and Mr. Cutler noted that it would go into the record of action.

The National Security Council:

a. Discussed the statement of policy contained in the reference report on the subject, and referred NSC 173 to the NSC Planning Board for revision in the light of the discussion.

b. Noted the President’s desire that at least limited economic aid should be programmed for West Berlin for Fiscal Year 1955.

[Here follows discussion of items 5–8, the United States position with respect to Germany, United States objectives and courses of action with respect to Latin America, United States assistance to NATO allies, and the NSC status of projects.]

1. Drafted by Gleason on Dec. 11.
2. NSC is an updated version of NSC 132/1 (Document 547). It also includes a financial appendix with two tables, an annex of recent statements by U.S. officials on Berlin, and a map of the Western approaches to Berlin. The memorandum from the Executive Secretariat transmitted the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on NSC 173. (Both S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351, NSC 173 Series)