Office of the Historian

226. Memorandum From the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs to Dillon1

Washington, January 5, 1960
[Facsimile Page 1]

SUBJECT

  • NSC 5919—“U.S. Policy with Respect to the Development of Cargo Airlift”

I. Problem

The subject paper, prepared by the NSC Planning Board, is due to be considered by the National Security Council on January 8.

II. Discussion

The policy statement is the result of a request by General Persons of the White House that the NSC undertake to resolve certain differences which have arisen in the past between the Federal Aviation Agency and the Department of the Air Force on where the initiative should rest in the development of aircraft designed exclusively for cargo-lift and on the role of the civil air fleet in the carriage of military cargo.

The draft states that establishment of an effective civil cargo air fleet, which could also serve many military purposes, is desirable. It proposes that as much government cargo as possible be transferred progressively from MATS to certificated civil air carriers, giving preference to those carriers which demonstrate a willingness and ability to acquire aircraft designed for the carriage of cargo. It recommends a review or the civil Reserve Air Fleet system to assure that civil cargo aircraft will be available to the defense establishment when needed.

III. Conclusions

The draft statement is a compromise, but appears to represent an orderly program for the development of a civil air cargo fleet and to provide adequate protection for military interests in a time of emergency. However, a substantial increase in international United States civil air cargo operations substituting for the present MATS may create capacity problems under our bilateral air transport agreements, and to minimize these problems as much as possible the Department should be kept closely informed of each stage of development of the program.

IV. Recommendation

It is recommended that the Department take a secondary role in discussion of the paper, but approve its adoption on the understanding that the Department expects difficulty in overcoming capacity problems which may arise in its full implementation.

  1. Source: Recommends approval of NSC 5919. Confidential. 1 p. NARA, RG 59, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 63 D 351.↩