597. Letter From Herter to
Gray1
Washington, September 14,
1960
Dear Gordon:
[Facsimile Page 1]
I was most happy to receive your comments of September 13 on the
suggested letter from the President and the statement of functions
[Typeset Page 2169]
of the new
U.S. Disarmament Administration. I am in general agreement with your
suggestions and have asked that appropriate changes be made in the two
documents in the light of such comments as we receive from the agencies
concerned.
With warmest personal regards,
Most sincerely,
Attachment
Letter From Gray to Herter
Washington,
September 13,
1960
Dear Chris:
[Facsimile Page 2]
I inclose a rather hastily prepared set of comments with respect to
the suggested letter from the President and the statement of
functions of the new U.S. Disarmament Administration which you sent
to me with your letter of September 9. I submit these for whatever
they may be worth to you.
With warm regards, I am,
Sincerely,
Gordon
Gray
Special Assistant to the President
Enclosure
Paper Prepared in the Office of the Special Assistant to the
President
[Facsimile Page 3]
The two documents seem to raise two major questions:
First, does the President really intend to delegate to the Secretary
of State and the U.S. Disarmament Administration the making of
ultimate policy decisions? It would appear desirable to make it
clear that the President reserves to himself policy decisions.
Second, do the documents as written provide for essential meaningful Department of Defense
participation. The same question might be raised about AEC participation.
[Typeset Page 2170]
(A revision of the last sentence of paragraph 3 in the suggested
letter from the President might substantially meet the problem of
the first question and be helpful with respect to the problem
involved in the second question. This sentence could read as
follows: “As in the past the Secretary of State will continue to
coordinate definition of these policies with you as appropriate to
your responsibilities before obtaining Presidential approval.”)
My other comments are:
1. As to the suggested letter, in the first paragraph should not the
word “safeguarded” be inserted before “arms limitation and
control”?
In the fourth paragraph should there not be some reference to military skills? The word “technical” may
include people familiar with military technology, but does this not
ignore the strategic military considerations?
2. As to the statement of functions:
Should not the necessity of Presidential approval be somewhere
referred to in the first paragraph?
In the second sentence of the first paragraph should not the last
line read: “inter alia, assisting the Secretary of State in the
following functions in the arms control field.”
Finally, would it not be desirable to involve the Director of the
U.S. Information Agency in some way in this enterprise?
Enclosure
Letter From Herter to
Gray
Washington,
September 9,
1960
Dear Gordon:
[Facsimile Page 4]
As you know, the Department of State has today issued a press release
announcing the establishment of the United States Disarmament
Administration.
To help launch this new organization, it has been proposed that the
President set forth its purpose in a letter to the heads of agencies
who are most closely associated with the United States Government’s
disarmament activities. A copy of this proposed letter is
attached.
I am also enclosing a statement of the functions of the United States
Disarmament Administration on which I would appreciate your
comments. The functional statement will be incorporated in
appropriate Department of State announcements and will, undoubtedly,
be used in Congressional presentations.
[Typeset Page 2171]
I think it would be desirable if the Presidential letter could be
issued and subsequent Department of State announcements on the new
Administration be made within the next two or three days. I would,
therefore, appreciate your urgent consideration of the
attachments.
With warmest personal regards,
Most sincerely,
Attachment 1
Suggested Letter From Eisenhower to Multiple Recipients
[Facsimile Page 5]
SUGGESTED LETTER FROM THE
PRESIDENT TO:
The Secretary of Defense
The Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission
The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
The Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
Pursuant to the plans which I initiated last fall, the Secretary of
State has established the United States Disarmament Administration
to strengthen leadership and coordination of the manifold activities
of the United States Government in the field of arms limitation and
control.
This Administration will be responsible to the Secretary of State and
will be staffed with personnel drawn from other agencies and from
outside Government as well as from the Department of State, thus
assuring the blending of skills essential to the highly complex work
in which it will be engaged.
In addition to coordinating or conducting an intensified program of
study and research, the new organization will be responsible for
formulating policies with respect to disarmament, including the
limitation and control, by international agreement, of armed forces
and weapons of all kinds and for direction and support of
international negotiations on these subjects. As in the past, the
Secretary of State will continue to coordinate definition of these
policies with you as appropriate to your responsibilities.
The Disarmament Administration will permit the United States to
marshal the best available political, technical and scientific
skills in a continuing campaign to discover practical means for
easing the burden of armaments, lessening the dangers of war by
miscalculation, and winning a just and durable peace.
I am confident that your agency will give full and continued support
to the Secretary of State in developing an effective organization
and in building a strong and imaginative policy.
[Typeset Page 2172]
My own devotion to this endeavor is deep and abiding. The well being
and safety of our country and of the world may be significantly
advanced by its efforts. I shall support it in every way I can.
I am sending letters related to this one to the Secretary of State
and to other agencies and Departments with responsibilities in the
field of arms control.
Attachment 2
Paper Prepared in the Department of State
[Facsimile Page 6]
Functions of the New United States Disarmament
Administration
The mission of the Administration will be to assist the Secretary of
State in leading and coordinating the effort of the United States
government in formulating, negotiating and implementing policies in
the field of control and limitation, by international agreement, of
armed forces and weapons of all kinds, including agreements to
safeguard against surprise attack and to lessen the danger of war by
miscalculation. This mission, which will be carried out with the
cooperation of the other interested parts of the government and with
the assistance, where necessary, of experts and consultants under
contract will include, inter alia, the
following functions in the arms control field:
- A.
- Development, review, analysis, evaluation and coordination
of plans, policies and programs, and research in connection
therewith, where necessary;
- B.
- Coordination, and where appropriate, commissioning or
assisting in the conduct of research and development
activities in such matters as systems of limitation,
inspection and control;
- C.
- Formulation and coordination of U.S. positions for use in
negotiation in international conferences, including analysis
of the proposals of other countries; preparation of
instruction to delegations, taking account of established
procedures and responsibilities for U.S. participation in
the U.N.; provision, where appropriate, of members of U.S.
delegations; and maintenance of contact with representatives
of foreign governments;
- D.
- Stimulation, coordination with and, where appropriate,
financial support of such U.S. activity as is carried on by
non-governmental agencies;
- E.
- Planning, cooperation with, and assistance in public
information programs designed to keep foreign and domestic
public opinion accurately informed of U.S. policies;
- F.
- Planning and coordination of U.S. participation in such
arrangements for monitoring and inspection as may be
required under international agreements to which the United
States may be a party.
