86. Editorial Note
On January 26, 1960, President Eisenhower approved recommendations designed to transfer many routine cargo operations from the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) to commercial carriers and to encourage the production of commercial aircraft suitable to non-routine military transportation requirements, while simultaneously assuring preservation of an adequate MATS capacity for unique military requirements in peacetime and expanded military requirements in wartime. The policy was embodied in recommendations by an interagency group which are attached to a memorandum from Lay to the NSC, January 19, as modified by NSC Action No. 2181, approved by the President on January 26. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records, and Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)
The President’s action obviated the need for a formal policy statement, of which a draft had been prepared in NSC 5519, “U.S. Policy With Respect to the Development of Cargo Air Lift,” dated December 28, 1959. (Ibid., S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351, NSC 5919 Series) NSC 5519 was summarized in a memorandum from the Bureau of Economic Affairs to Acting Secretary Dillon, January 5. (Ibid.) Cargo airlift was discussed twice in the National Security Council at meetings on January 7 and January 21. (Memoranda of discussion by Boggs, January 13 and January 21; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records) All these documents are in the Supplement.