Office of the Historian

114. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay) to the Council1

Washington, August 15, 1956.

SUBJECT

  • Current U.S. Policy Toward the Far East

REFERENCES

  • A. NSC 5429/52
  • B. NSC Action No. 1415–c3
  • C. NSC 56124

The enclosed draft revision of paragraph 5–d of NSC 5429/5, prepared by the NSC Planning Board pursuant to NSC Action No. 1415–c, is transmitted herewith for consideration by the National Security Council at its meeting on Thursday, August 30, 1956, in connection with its consideration of NSC 5612, on “U.S. Policy in Mainland Southeast Asia”, at the same meeting. The enclosed draft revision of paragraph 5–d of NSC 5429/5 is based upon paragraph 19 of NSC 5612.

In addition, NSC 5612 is intended to supersede Annex A of NSC 5429/5.

James S. Lay, Jr.

[Enclosure]

DRAFT REVISION OF PARAGRAPH 5–d OF NSC 5429/5

Should overt Communist aggression occur in the Southeast Asian treaty area, invoke the UN Charter or the SEATO treaty, or both, and subject to local request for assistance take necessary military and any other action to assist any state or dependent territory willing to resist Communist resort to force: Provided, that the taking of military action shall be subject to prior submission to and approval [Page 233] by the Congress unless the emergency is so great that immediate action is necessary to save a vital interest of the United States.

  1. Source: Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 5612 Series. Top Secret↩
  2. “Current U.S. Policy Toward the Far East”, dated December 22, 1954; for text, see Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. XII, Part 1, p. 1062.↩
  3. NSC Action No. 1415–c, taken at the June 9, 1955, NSC meeting, stated that in the event of a renewal of hostilities by the Communists in Vietnam, U.S. policy would be governed by paragraph 5–d of NSC 5429/5, pending review of that paragraph by the NSC Planning Board. (Ibid., S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95) For text of NSC Action No. 1415, see vol. I, p. 444.↩
  4. “U.S. Policy in Mainland Southeast Asia”, dated August 15, not printed. (Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 5612 Series)↩