227. Memorandum for the Record by the President’s Deputy Assistant (Merriam)0
CONFERENCE
- The President, General William Draper, Mr. Hagerty and Mr. Merriam
- November 24, 1958—8:00 to 8:45 a.m., Augusta, Georgia
SUBJECT
- The President’s Committee to Study the United States Military Assistance Program
General Draper thanked the President for giving him the opportunity to serve as chairman of this very important study. The President reiterated his hope that the study would take a good hard look at the whole Military Assistance Program. In particular, he emphasized his own belief that some of the defense forces had been overextended, particularly in underdeveloped countries.
Mr. Draper asked that all studies and material which might be of help to the Committee be made available to it, and specifically stated his hope that the Joint Chiefs and the CIA would be asked to cooperate fully. The President agreed that this was necessary, and directed me to so inform Secretary McElroy and Allen Dulles (accomplished). He indicated that, of course, all agencies would cooperate in every way possible.
Mr. Draper discussed briefly his proposed method of operation including use of the Institute for Defense Analyses, and perhaps other similar organizations, his appointment of Tracy Voorhees as Committee counsel and Colonel Lincoln as a staff coordinator, and mentioned that he hoped James Perkins of Princeton might head up the economic side of the study. General Draper also indicated that he was going to ask Eugene Black of the World Bank and Sam Waugh of the Export-Import Bank to help informally. The President indicated no objection to any of these arrangements.
General Draper informed the President that he had already met with Senators Fulbright and Mansfield, both of whom seemed favorably impressed by the membership of the Committee, and he asked if the President would have any objection if, within appropriate bounds, Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle were kept informed of the Committee’s progress. The President indicated agreement.
[Page 432]I told the President that some of the other leaders who had been informed of the pending appointment of the Committee were concerned that there was no member representing a “conservative” point of view, and told him of my invitation to Herbert Hoover, Jr.,2 to participate with the Committee. The President indicated that he would be willing to urge Mr. Hoover to accept. He also agreed that if Mr. Hoover cannot accept, Mr. Joseph Dodge should be invited to participate.
In talking about the relationship between this study and the President’s Mutual Security message, the President suggested that either the Budget message or the State of the Union message make reference to the Committee and indicate that the findings of the Committee would be available to the Congress before the end of the next session. He suggested that to the extent feasible conclusions of the Committee be discussed with the appropriate Departments as the study goes along so that acceptable conclusions could be worked into the Mutual Security message. General Draper informed the President that he had already established contact with Doug Dillon and Jack Irwin of Defense with this in mind.