Mr. Smith discussed with the Secretary this afternoon the subject of the
attached memorandum.
The Secretary authorized Mr. Smith to take the position indicated during
Planning Board discussions on this subject.
Attachment
Memorandum From Smith to Dulles
Washington, September 22,
1958
[Facsimile Page 2]
SUBJECT
- Review of NSC 5410/1 “US
Objectives in the Event of General War with the Soviet Bloc”
On Gordon Gray’s initiative, the NSC
Planning Board is again considering this subject which was postponed
last May at our request
[Typeset Page 324]
when you and Secretary McElroy were discussing alternatives
to the present Strategic Concept.
This policy paper is an extremely important one, not because of the use
which might be made of it during a period of hostilities, but because of
the influence it has upon the development of a Strategic Concept and
upon US military capabilities including force levels, weapon systems and
strategic and tactical planning. It is the logical intermediary between
Basic National Policy and the Strategic Concept and will, in large
measure, determine the Strategic Concept since the latter depends for
its characteristics upon the nature of the objectives which the US sets
for itself in military situations.
The present statement of US war aims deals only with general war with the
Soviet Bloc, and does not consider our objectives in any military
engagement short of general war. In my judgment this is an incomplete
treatment of this important subject, and the resulting gap can have
serious consequences. So long as there is no stated objective for the
case of limited operations, the development of doctrine and capabilities
for such operations is inhibited. The policy statement is used as a
guide for the planning of the whole range of US military activities.
Under the present policy the emphasis is placed upon general war
capability to the virtual exclusion of those factors necessary to
provide the flexible capability called for in Basic National Policy, and
this emphasis makes itself felt in inter-service competition for
resources and in the overall structuring of US military strength. Thus a
range of military alternatives is not available, the free choice of
foreign policy alternatives may be correspondingly restricted, and at a
time of serious threat the US may well be prevented from responding
effectively to any military aggression short of general war.
[Facsimile Page 3]
I believe US war aims policy should consider three kinds of war, (1)
general war initiated by the USSR; (2)
major war initiated by Communist China; and (3) other war with the
Sino-Soviet bloc; and that our objectives should be spelled out
carefully and in detail in order to give the military the maximum
guidance necessary for the development of an overall flexible capability
consistent with the requirements of Basic National Policy.
Recommendation:
That I be authorized during Planning Board discussions of NSC 5410/1 to take a position along the
lines described above.
