302. Editorial Note
At the 422d meeting of the National Security Council, October 29, Kenneth G. Harr, Director of the Operations Coordinating Board, briefed the Council on implications of recent oil discoveries in Libya. Harr estimated that by 1965 approximately 25,000 barrels a day would be going to Western Europe from a pipeline and port being constructed in Libya by ESSO. By 1964, Libya would be producing 100,000 barrels per day; by 1965, total production would be 300,000 barrels per day. Obviously, Harr continued, Libyan oil would be strongly competitive in the Western European market. (Memorandum of discussion by Johnson, October 29; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records) The full text of the briefing and discussion is in volume XIII, pages 733–734.
Also on October 29, the NSC Executive Secretary sent the members of the Council a memorandum from the Director of the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization, Leo A. Hoegh, which recommended revised language for paragraph 60 of NSC 5906/1, “Basic National Security Policy,” August 5, 1959, to bring that paragraph into line with the decision on stockpiling made by President Eisenhower and his Cabinet on September 11; see Document 301. The revised paragraph 60 of NSC 5906/1 was subsequently approved by the members of the National Security Council by memorandum rather than at a meeting. The President approved it on December 3, 1959. The approved revisions to paragraph 60 read as follows:
“A stockpile of strategic and critical materials as authorized under P.L. 520, 79th Congress, should be maintained. Objectives for the strategic stockpile should be determined on the basis of the time required for supplies of materials in a national emergency to match essential needs of the emergency. Pending a determination of the essential needs of the nation after a nuclear attack (including reconstruction), the planning period should be limited to a maximum of three years, provided that until such determination is made the ‘maximum objective’ should not be less than six months’ usage by the U. S. industry in periods of active demand.” (NSC Action No. 2155; Department of State, S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)
For P.L. 520, July 23, 1946, see 60 Stat. 596. The memorandum of October 29 to the National Security Council is ibid., S/P–NSC Files: Lot 62 D 1, Basic National Security Policy, NSC 5906. NSC 5906/1 is scheduled for publication in volume III.