Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume III, National Security Policy; Arms Control and Disarmament, Microfiche Supplement

5. Memorandum of Discussion at 352nd NSC Meeting¹

Washington, January 22, 1958

SUBJECT

• Discussion at the 352nd Meeting of the National Security Council, Wednesday, January 22, 1958

Present at the 352nd NSC Meeting were the President of the United States, presiding; the Vice President of the United States; the Secretary of State; Donald A. Quarles for the Secretary of Defense; and the Director, Office of Defense Mobilization. Also present were Fred C. Scribner, Jr., for the Secretary of the Treasury; the Director, Bureau of the Budget; the Special Assistant to the President for Atomic Energy; the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Director of Central Intelligence; the Secretary of the Army; The Assistant to the President; the Deputy Assistant to the President; the Director, U.S. Information Agency; Dennis A. FitzGerald for the Director, International Cooperation Administration; the Under Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of State Smith; the Special Assistants to the President for Disarmament, for Information Projects, for National Security Affairs, for Science and Technology, and for Security Operations Coordination; the White House Staff Secretary; the Executive Secretary, NSC; and the Deputy Executive Secretary, NSC.

There follows a summary of the discussion at the meeting and the main points taken.

[Omitted here are agenda items 1 and 2.]

3. PRIORITIES FOR BALLISTIC MISSILES AND SATELLITE PROGRAMS (NSC 5520; NSC Actions Nos. 1433, 1484, 1545, 1653, 1656, 1713, 1765, 1799, and 1800)

After General Cutler had read the record of action on the subject, Secretary Quarles stated in explanation that if it proved practical to provide the proposed latitude on priorities to the Secretary of Defense, such a course of action would seem desirable and helpful.

The President emphasized that when the issue of the size and scope of programs for the procurement of the missiles came up, this matter would have to be approved specifically by the President.

The National Security Council:

Noted that the President, on the recommendation of the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, has established the following programs as having the highest priority above all others for research and development and for achieving operational capability; scope of the operational capability to be as approved by the President:

(Order of listing does not indicate priority of one program over another.)

ATLAS (ICBM) Weapon System

TITAN (ICBM) Weapon System

THOR-JUPITER (IRBM) Weapon Systems

POLARIS (FBM) Weapon System

Anti-missile missile defense weapon system, including active defense and related early warning for defense of the United States proper

IGY scientific satellite (VANGUARD-JUPITER C) programs

Satellite programs (other than VANGUARD and JUPITER C) determined by the Secretary of Defense to have objectives having key political, scientific, psychological or military import.

NOTE: The above action, as approved by the President, subsequently transmitted to the Secretary of Defense for appropriate implementation, superseding those portions of the referenced actions and of NSC 5520 which are in conflict with the above priorities.

[Omitted here is the remainder of the memorandum.]

S. Everett Gleason

1. Source: Agenda item 3: Priorities for Ballistic Missiles and Satellite Programs (see print Document 5). Top Secret; Eyes Only. Extracts—3 pp. Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records.