Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, American Republics: Multilateral; Mexico; Caribbean, Volume VI

11. Memorandum of Discussion at the 283d Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, May 3, 1956¹

Washington, May 3, 1956

Present at the 283rd NSC meeting were the President of the United States, presiding; the Vice President of the United States; the Acting Secretary of State; the Secretary of Defense; and the Director, Office of Defense Mobilization. Others present were the Secretary of the Treasury; the Attorney General (participating in the Council action on Item 3); Mr. Amos J. Peaslee for the Special Assistant to the President for Disarmament; the Director, Bureau of the Budget; the Special Assistant to the President for Atomic Energy; the Director, National Science Foundation (for Item 1); General Nathan F. Twining, Chief of Staff, U.S. Air Force; the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Assistant Secretary of Defense Holaday (Item 1); Mr. Samuel E. Clements, Department of Defense (for Item 1); the Deputy Secretary of Defense; Mr. Frank Wisner, CIA (for Items 1 and 2); the Director of Central Intelligence; the Assistant to the President; Special Assistants to the President Anderson and Jackson; the Deputy Assistant to the President; the White House Staff Secretary; the Executive Secretary, NSC; and the Deputy Executive Secretary, NSC.

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

[Here follows discussion of items 1–3: “NSC 5220”, “CIA Semi-Annual Report”, and “U.S. Action in the Event of Unprovoked Communist Attack Against U.S. Aircraft”.]

4. U.S. Policy on Latin America (NSC 5432/1; Progress Report, dated March 28, 1956, by OCB on NSC 5432/1)

Mr. Anderson briefed the Council on the highlights of the reference Progress Report, pointing out that the NSC Planning Board had concurred in the recommendation of the Operations Coordinating Board that this policy be reviewed (copy of briefing note² filed in the minutes of the meeting).

The President commented that he approved of the recommendation for reviewing our Latin American policy, but that since the review seemed to be based on the potentialities of the new Soviet economic offensive, he wished the Dodge Council³ to have an opportunity to comment on relevant portions of the revised policy statement before that statement came to the National Security Council for consideration.

Secretary Hoover stated that while there was no great urgency for a review of our policy toward Latin America, he would be glad to have it when it was finally formulated. The present policy on Latin America had been prepared a year or two ago in time for the big conference at Rio de Janeiro. A new conference of the American Republics was now scheduled for the month of February 1957,⁴ and the revised policy statement on Latin America should be ready in ample time for this new conference.

The National Security Council:

a. Noted and discussed the reference Progress Report on the subject by the Operations Coordinating Board.

b. Directed the NSC Planning Board to review the policy contained in NSC 5432/1, obtaining, prior to Council consideration, the comments of the Council on Foreign Economic Policy with respect to any policy recommendations relating to foreign economic policies to meet the new Soviet tactics in Latin America.

[Here follows discussion of items 5 and 6: “U.S. Policy Toward Spain” and “Policy Regarding Future Commitments for Foreign Assistance”.]

S. Everett Gleason

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Prepared by Gleason on May 4.
2. Not found in Department of State files.
3. Reference is to the Council on Foreign Economic Policy; Dodge was appointed Chairman of the Council on December 1, 1954.
4. Reference is to the Economic Conference of the Organization of American States, held at Buenos Aires, August 15–September 4, 1957; for documentation, see Documents 135 ff.