188. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, May 24, 1955, 10:20 a.m.1

The Pres. said he is concerned about the whole business between Congress and ourselves on the prosecution of the Cold War. He now finds out they have introduced bills on the Hill to constitute a Cold War Strategy Board. He just heard about it and does not know the contents and does not know if he can accept it. He will not if it means Congress is doing the Executive’s job. But we must arrange our work so we get their support on a broad basis. He has asked Rockefeller to talk with the Sec. What about having a body of you, Commerce, USIA etc. as a counterpart of NSC. If through that we got appropriations—make it advisory—such a group cannot testify in Congress of the happenings. If it is separate in its own right, it can go down and report and he won’t do that. So the Pres. wants NELSON to talk with the Sec. Sarnoff2 was there last evening and he said he could get all the support the Pres. needs on the Hill, but didn’t tell him he was the author of the Strategy Board. The Pres. said he is going to have his own. It would be in conformity with what we wanted and would satisfy this desire and we could get the money we needed. The exchange program and propaganda should be stepped up, etc. We have to get into it more intensively. We have to be careful—the responsibility is mine with you principally and USIA, Commerce and whatever man who heads FOA, Defense etc. We have to be careful on how we do it.

The Sec. said it is all right to talk about Cold War Strategy—what do they mean. No one knows. The Pres. said we have called it psychological warfare for many years. It is an attack on the minds of men who will make war and win them around etc. rather than to put all our eggs in a basket of fighting war. It is a broad program. The Sec. said it is designed to bring about the so-called liberation within the satellite countries. The Pres. thinks that is one step—but it is more—disaffection behind the Iron Curtain, winning South America etc. etc. The Sec. said if you do that, that is foreign policy. The Pres. said it is the implementation of it. How do you do it? The Sec. said by the Mutual Security Act, USIS, CIA. The Pres. said the [Page 525] trouble is he has taken these things and has had to plead for appropriations. Now, exactly as they passed the law on NSC, it would seem to the Pres. we have an out to take these implementing people and put them in with you and work out something we will get greater support on. The Sec. does not think we have trouble getting support. We do on a few items. The Pres. said one leader talked doubtfully re CIA. The Sec. said CIA turned back money. The Pres. said 2 years ago, and recently one Republican leader said they wanted to establish a joint comm. to go in on the secret things, and the Pres. said he would not go for it. The Pres. said he got the exchange program restored, but they cut the information program etc. He personally thinks these things should be stepped up and not cut back and authority should be kept where it belongs by an organization that would satisfy them and get better support. The Sec. said he would be delighted to talk with NELSON about it. The Pres. is afraid they will pass a law that he will have to veto. They have not consulted him and told him Knowland put it in. He is not sure what it is, but is sure it is not acceptable to him and he wants to be ahead of the game. The Pres. mentioned Sarnoff again, and said he wants the Sec. and him to be masters of the situation.

The Pres. asked if the Sec. has done any more thinking about going to San Francisco. The Sec. said not particularly. The Sec. said he does not think there is any great reason for his doing it. The Pres. said Auriol3 brought it up. The Sec. said A. has a great interest in the UN, but he does not represent much of France. The Pres. agreed. The Pres. does not want to let down our people. Lodge was concerned about it and what disturbed the Pres. is one day in New England will be a fishing day so people will talk about his appearing to be indifferent. They will talk further about this. The Pres. said he would go out if he had a speech that was worth while. The Sec. said that’s it. A major speech is almost more than we can handle with all we have to do. The Pres. said CD Jackson feels so strongly about it he is writing a speech to send down. The Sec. said that would be fine.

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Telephone Conversations with the President. Prepared by Phyllis D. Bernau, Secretary Dulles’ personal secretary.
  2. David Sarnoff, Chairman of the Board, National Broadcasting Company, met on March 15 with the President and White House Press Secretary James Hagerty to propose increasing the budget for cold war propaganda. Prior to the White House meeting, Sarnoff discussed the same subject with Senator Lyndon B. Johnson (D–Tex.) and was subsequently invited to address Democratic Senators about the proposal. (Ibid., Hagerty Papers, Hagerty Diary, March 15, 1955)
  3. Vincent Auriol, President of France.