Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, National Security Policy, Volume XIX

59. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense (Wilson) to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay)¹

Washington, February 24, 1956.

SUBJECT

• NSC 5602

1. I am transmitting herewith for the information of the National Security Council the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with respect to NSC 5602.² I concur in these views.

2. NSC 5602 was the subject of a special meeting of the Armed Forces Policy Council on 23 February. Because I shall not be at the National Security Council meeting when NSC 5602 is discussed, I should like to use this opportunity to call the attention of the members of the Council to the general conclusions of the discussion in the Armed Forces Policy Council. It was our unanimous view that, while NSC 5602 is some small improvement in detail over NSC 5501, its predecessor, it does not represent the incisive and clear statement of the basic U.S. security policies which we believe is needed to meet the challenge of new Soviet moves. We feel that, since NSC 5501 was approved, the Soviets have made much progress. Their military strength is rapidly becoming more than adequate to make them feel that their basic objectives of protecting the security of their regime and of holding together the Soviet Communist Bloc are now well assured. In consequence, we feel that they are moving with far greater flexibility and assurance to isolate the U.S. from the rest of the free world and to create doubts in the minds of our allies as to U.S. intentions.

3. In the face of this considerably changed situation, we strongly recommend, whether or not it is desired to act on NSC 5602 in its present form, that a number of very fundamental problems confronting us should be thrashed out by a small group meeting with the President. On the basis of such discussions and a consequent clarification of the bases of new policy and national strategy, we feel there should then be produced for NSC consideration a much shorter, positive and affirmative statement of U.S. policy to meet the challenge of the new Soviet cold war offensive.

C.E. Wilson³

1. Source: Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 5602 Series. Top Secret. Transmitted with the memorandum from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense Wilson, infra. to the National Security Council under cover of a memorandum from Gleason, dated February 24.
2. See infra.
3. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.