Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file
No. 52
Memorandum of Discussion at the 177th
Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, December
23, 19531
eyes only
Present at this meeting were the President of the United States, presiding; the Vice President of the United States; the Secretary of State; the Secretary of Defense; the Director, Foreign Operations Administration; the Director, Office of Defense Mobilization. Also present were the Secretary of the Treasury; the Director, Bureau of the Budget; the Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission; the Deputy Secretary of Defense; the Executive Officer, Operations Coordinating Board (for Items 7 and 8); the Secretaries of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force (for Items 7 and 8); the Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Army; the Chief of Naval Operations; the Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force; the Commandant, U. S. Marine Corps (all for Items 7 and 8). Also present for Items 7 and 8 were the following members of the NSC Planning Board: Robert R. Bowie, State; Frank C. Nash, Defense; Gen. Porter, FOA; W. Y. Elliott, ODM; Elbert P. Tuttle, Treasury; Col. Hugh Cort, JCS; Robert Amory, Jr., CIA; George A. Morgan, OCB; and Paul L. Morrison, Budget. Philip H. Watts, Department of State; Brig. Gen. Paul W. Caraway, Department of Defense; and Christian Herter, Jr., of The Vice President’s Office, were also attending the meeting for Items 7 and 8. Also present were the Director of Central Intelligence; Robert Cutler, Special Assistant to the President; C.D. Jackson, Special Assistant to the President; Arthur Minnich, Assistant White House Staff Secretary; the Executive Secretary, NSC; the Deputy Executive Secretary, NSC; and Ina Holtzscheiter, NSC Staff (for Items 7 and 8).
There follows a summary of the discussion and the main points taken.
[Here follows discussion concerning the security of NSC documents. National Security Council meetings and actions, and significant world developments affecting United States security.]
[Page 128]4. United States Policy Toward the Soviet Satellites in Eastern Europe (NSC 1742)
Mr. Cutler briefed the Council thoroughly on the high points of NSC 174, and analyzed the crucial issue of avoiding premature revolt. He then called on the Secretary of State, who replied that he thought the paper excellent.
. . . . . . .
Secretary Dulles warned that he had discussed with various Congressional committees the desirability of a resumption of diplomatic relations with Bulgaria. In every instance he had encountered a most violently hostile reaction. While the State Department itself favored this move, the attitude of Congress, said Secretary Dulles, would have to be kept in mind.
The President commented that there seemed to be absolutely no understanding in the Congress that there was a positive advantage to the United States in maintaining these diplomatic relations with countries behind the Iron Curtain. He said he had tried to explain this advantage again and again to members of Congress, and always without success.
Governor Stassen said that he had only one concern about NSC 174. That is that there seemed to be no course of action or plan which the United States would follow in the event of a successful revolt by one of these countries against its Soviet masters. Have we, inquired Governor Stassen, really planned for the alternative of a success? Mr. Allen Dulles and Mr. Jackson both assured Governor Stassen that we were making plans for this contingency.
The National Security Council:
Adopted the draft statement of policy on the subject contained in NSC 174, subject to the addition of the words “and Albania” at the end of paragraph 26 on page 9.
Note:NSC 174 as amended, and approved by the President, subsequently referred to the Operations Coordinating Board as the coordinating agency designated by the President.
[Here follows discussion concerning the United States civil administration in the Ryukyu Islands, the NATO Ministerial meeting, December 14–16, and a report by the Vice President on his recent South American trip.]