69. Notes on a Meeting With the President, President’s Office, White House, Washington, March 29, 1956, 2:30 p.m.1
PRESENT
- Admiral Radford
- Deputy Director of Defense Robertson
- Comptroller of the Department of Defense McNeil
- Director of the Bureau of the Budget Hughes
- Deputy Director of Bureau of Budget Brundage
- Mr. Reed of the Bureau of the Budget
- Governor Adams
- General Persons
SUBJECT
- Memorandum prepared by Defense, in response to request from the President, concerning 1957–58 Defense budget picture2
President first read memorandum and accompanying charts, asked question about relocation warning line (explained by Radford and Robertson).
The President said that whole effort represented a fine recommendation, but where was he to get the money since we are up to the limit of our indebtedness.
[Page 277]The Director of the Bureau of the Budget interposed that the Bureau of the Budget had not been asked to concur in the recommendations under discussion.
The President questioned the figure set forward for the support of the Reserve force, saying that he did not think we had any substantial Reserve force. Robertson indicated the Reserve force was being increased, and that the requested appropriation is consistent with the increased program. The President said in an offside that he thought all the ingenuity had been lost (by the regular Armed forces) in scraping up people to do miscellaneous jobs.
The President asked specifically about the change in plans for ship construction. Radford explained that six ships in the ’56 program had been originally planned—three to carry guided missiles and three with more conventional batteries. However, the guided missiles to be put on such ships have progressed to the point where all six ships can be so outfitted, indeed the missiles are ready now, and it would be cheaper to install them at the construction time rather than to refit them later. The President queried what was so much more expensive about installation of guided missiles on ships (in place of the conventional batteries) and Radford explained that a different and more costly fire control system was needed. It was pointed out that these missiles have nothing to do with ballistic missiles. Robertson said that the tests on these “Talos” missiles have been encouraging.
The President said it looked to him as though first priority had been given to guided missiles. He asked if any program had been cut; Robertson said that it had; that Admiral Burke was complaining about what had been done to sonar research. Later in the discussion, the President again brought up his feeling that nothing had been cut down, that everything had been expanded. McNeil and Robertson assured him that some programs had been reduced, but that the figures did not show on the memorandum presented. The President commented that for his peace of mind it might be better to show where such savings had been made.
At one point in the discussion of the guided missiles program and cost, Robertson brought out the tremendous costs involved in the “range” that is being developed to test them.
Robertson said that he had discussed the question of the B–52’s with LeMay, and whether the B–52’s meant that the overseas bases would not be so necessary. LeMay will go along about not spending any more on African bases, but hopes that Spanish bases will be kept up. LeMay feels that we could take another look at the “Snark” missile, but doesn’t want to give up on the Navaho.
The question of duplication of research and of efforts bothers the President. He again referred back to the fact that nothing is ever eliminated from the requests saying that he thought he had gotten [Page 278] together the best possible group of officers, and he had yet to hear of anyone who would say he wanted to concede anything; he said he was discouraged to see that no one ever comes up to him to say “let’s get rid of something.” He realizes this is an old story—that it took the Army 50 years to get rid of horses after they had become obsolete. The President said he thought we were building up a very fine case for the people who say “we need more stuff.” Where do we get the money? You can’t raise taxes and expect people to invest their money, and investments are basis of American prosperity.
The President referred to the fact that some months ago he had issued orders that the three Services should not air, in the press, their fights and their advances in missile program, and he referred to the clippings Colonel Goodpaster had given him earlier in the afternoon. He said we want to spend more money, and we want to tell everybody exactly what we are doing. He read to the people the story about the Nike location, a statement by Secretary Brucker about “another kind of system,” and showed the photograph of an advanced type missile. Robertson said that Brucker “should not have said what he did.”
The President thought the recent publicity stories were disgraceful, and blamed the public relations departments of the three Services. Then he said he did not want to be quarrelsome, but he did not know where the money would come from—he mentioned the farm bill and what that would cost. But he said he had tried to get the Services together on some things (during the time when he came back to the Pentagon from the Columbia experience) and that obviously he had not gotten very far.
Radford injected a brighter note by saying that things were really moving very fast, and said that a great deal of defense appropriations were going into intercontinental defense, that some very firm directives had come from NSC (the President said they had been recommended by the Joint Chiefs), and that a lot of expenditures had come as result of Killian report and the report by Mr. Sprague.
The President agreed with Admiral Radford that he was not entirely convinced that the guided missiles are the answer to all the problems.
Radford said that they were getting a lot of new weapons, but at the same time they could not stop the production of the old ones. President interjected that he could not see what possible use the Army could have for jet planes.
Again about the guided missile programs. Four are under construction, hope is that one will come through. There are two big programs where the approach is quite different, one might work and one might not. The President questioned why the Army should have a 1500-mile ballistic missile program, since the Army does not have the equipment to see where they are hitting.
[Page 279]At one point the President indicated that in the matter of guided missiles he thought the Air Force ought to be the “boss.”
Robertson said that in the ICBM we have two ballistic missiles— one or both may or may not work. As far as the IRBM goes, they started with the Redstone organization of the Army because it was operating and in momentum. The Navy medium-range missile is being developed at Douglas.
Mr. Hughes said that the Budget questions were thoroughly gone into in December and certain choices were made, and for some time he felt they were being adhered to. Now apparently there seems to be a complete change of atmosphere.
There was some discussion of fighter planes—and the lead time necessary to get certain planes into production. The F–110 will be started in production in 60–61, but the F–125 will not be coming along until 62–64.
The President would like to see the Defense Department cut down to “spartan basis.” But he admitted that people he had known all his life were asking for more and more. He said, “I say the patriot today is the fellow who can do the job with less money.”
Mr. Robertson emphasized that Mr. Wilson had gone over in the fall the budget very thoroughly with the people in the Departments, had been tough—to the point that they were afraid they would go before the Congress and not have the individual Services with them. Mr. Wilson was able to get a figure of 700 million, and got a firm assurance from the Services that this was a program they could live with. Now when they go to the Congress, with the pressure for ballistic missiles, for B–52’s, and pressure from Symington and Russell committee,3 it is going to be difficult. The President admitted it would be agonizing. These hearings will probably start about the 15th of April. Robertson emphasized that they would like to know as soon as possible whether the suggestions would be agreeable.
Mr. Hughes said that Budget would study the matter and present recommendations to the President, and it was indicated group would get together early next week for further discussion.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File. Secret. No drafting officer is indicated.↩
- Reference is presumably to the memorandum from the President to Secretary Wilson, March 20; see footnote 2, Document 67.↩
- Senate Armed Services Committee.↩