Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file

No. 82
Memorandum of Discussion at the 153d Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, July 9, 19531

top secret
eyes only

The following were present at the 153rd meeting of the Council: The President of the United States, Presiding; the Vice President of the United States; the Secretary of State; the Secretary of Defense; the Deputy Director for Mutual Security; the Director, Office of Defense Mobilization. Also present were the Secretary of the Treasury; the Chairman, Federal Communications Commission (for Item 1); General Collins for the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Director of Central Intelligence; Robert Cutler, Special Assistant to the President; C. D. Jackson, Special Assistant to the President; Colonel Paul T. Carroll, Acting White House Staff Secretary; Ralph Clark, Central Intelligence Agency (for Item 1); Commander Perry Johnson, USN, Central Intelligence Agency (for Item 1); J. J. Hitchcock, Central Intelligence Agency (for Items 1 and 2); the [Page 222] Acting Executive Secretary, NSC; and Hugh D. Farley, NSC Special Staff Member.

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

[Here follows discussion concerning electro-magnetic communications, significant world developments affecting United States security, the situation in Korea, United States objectives and policies with respect to the Near East, the security of strategically important industrial operations in foreign countries, possibilities of reducing United States civilian population in sensitive areas abroad, and continental defense.]

8. Volunteer Freedom Corps (NSC 143/2)2

Mr. C. D. Jackson pointed out that some ten days ago messages had been sent to the appropriate Chiefs of Mission, indicating that they should take up at once with the governments to which they were accredited the question of implementation of the Volunteer Freedom Corps. So far we had had only one informal response, namely, from Great Britain, and it had been generally favorable.3 In view of the recent developments in East Germany and among the satellites, continued Mr. Jackson, it seemed more urgent than ever that we get started on the VFC. He thought it likely that this subject would come up in the forthcoming meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Washington,4 but whether it did or not Mr. Jackson said that he hoped that the NSC would be willing to recommend, and that the President would be willing to order, the activation of the VFC, and that announcement of this action could be made at the conclusion of the Foreign Ministers meeting.

Secretary Dulles said he thought it would be a mistake to follow Mr. Jackson’s recommendation until we had had further indication from abroad, and particularly from Chancellor Adenauer, as to reactions to this proposal.

The Vice President asked the Secretary of State if he thought it likely that the Foreign Ministers of France and Great Britain would press for a four-power conference in the near future.

Secretary Dulles replied that he thought this very likely.

The President, however, was more skeptical of the weight of this pressure, and said that if it came, Secretary Dulles should tell his [Page 223] colleagues to go ahead and arrange their own conference with the Russians.

The National Security Council:

Noted a report by Mr. C. D. Jackson that delay in public announcement of the Volunteer Freedom Corps was occasioned by lack of response from certain of our allies to inquiries addressed to them, and his request that the State Department expedite obtaining such responses.5

[Here follows discussion of foreign reactions to administration policies.]

S. Everett Gleason
  1. Prepared by Gleason on July 10.
  2. Document 80.
  3. In telegram 6894 from London, Aldrich reported that he had spoken with Salisbury about the VFC and that Salisbury had given his informal concurrence, subject to consultation with other members of the government. (740.5/6–3053)
  4. For documentation concerning the Washington Tripartite Foreign Ministers meetings, July 10–14, see vol. v, Part 2, pp. 1582 ff.
  5. In telegrams 93 to Bonn, 107 to Paris, and 148 to London, July 9, the Department of State requested reports of the status of the VFC negotiations at each post. (740.5/7–953)