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

557. Letter From Herter to Gray¹

Washington, April 11, 1960

Dear Gordon:

I have your memorandum of April 7, 1960.

I am not sure that you are aware that last October the President wrote to me suggesting that permanent status be given to a unit of Government dealing with disarmament and that this be in the State Department, and that I responded in November concurring in the President’s judgment. Subsequently I have received from Dr. Kistiakowsky and others recommendations that the disarmament organization be established in the White House. I have given very extended and careful consideration to the merits of these proposals, but have concluded again that the permanent disarmament organization which the President had in mind should be established within the Department of State. In any event, I would consider the assignment of the disarmament responsibility to a subcommittee of the National Security Council as being inappropriate.

Last week Dr. Kistiakowsky and Dr. Killian were informed of this decision and they have promised to do their best to support it. With the assured cooperation of the President’s Science Advisory Committee and the cooperation I expect to receive from the Department of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission, I am quite confident that the State Department organization arrangement will prove successful. Furthermore, I am convinced that it is important that this project be advanced without any further delay.

I expect to submit a progress report to the President on this matter shortly.

With warmest personal regards,

Most sincerely,

Christian A. Herter

Attachment

Memorandum From Gray to Herter and Gates

April 7, 1960

I have very informally and tentatively explored with the President a notion I have had with respect to continuing studies regarding reduction and control of armaments. It was largely prompted by the discussion following George Kistiakowsky’s presentation at the Council meeting on March 24. You will recall that Secretary Rostow, Admiral Burke and Dr. Kistiakowsky all indicated the need for continuing studies, but the President did not make any specific decision regarding such studies.

Also, I am prompted by recalling that we have perhaps had a rather spotty and uneven record of studying the reduction and control of armaments problem and in preparing for international conferences which have been concerned with this matter. We have had big projects like the [illegible in the original] project and smaller ones like the Coolidge project, and others generally on an ad hoc basis.

My thought is to establish a procedure which would, for example, provide for (a) continuing and integrated evaluations of the technical feasibility and implications for the national security of proposals for the reduction and control of armaments; and (b) a continual watch for changes which would significantly alter such evaluations.

In order to provide continuity within an established organizational structure which is directly responsible to the President, I think this procedure could best be accomplished by establishing a small subcommittee of the National Security Council. The subcommittee could consist of the Secretary of State (Chairman) and the Secretary of Defense, with the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission participating when matters of concern to him were before the Committee. Advisors to the Committee might be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Director of Central Intelligence; the Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology; and the Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Provision would be made for a small staff, headed by a full time staff director, to be approved by the President. The staff could be composed, as the Committee might determine, both of representatives detailed from the interested departments and agencies and of individuals from outside of government, either on a part-time or a full-time basis.

This procedure should not disturb, but would instead [illegible in the original] and supplement, organizational arrangements which you would have in the State Department and in the Defense Department.

The President has asked me to explore this matter personally with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense and I shall shortly be in touch with both of you. In the meantime, this is simply to acquaint you with the notion in general terms so that you may give the matter some thought before we meet to discuss it, and I suggest that this not be given any general distribution in your department. The President would of course not proceed except upon your recommendation.

Gordon Gray
Special Assistant to the President

1. Source: Organization for disarmament. No classification marking, but responds to a Personal and Confidential memorandum from Gray (included). 4 pp. Eisenhower Library, White House Office Files, Project Clean Up, Disarmament-General.