Office of the Historian

335. Memorandum of Conversation0

Washington, undated.

SUBJECT

  • IRBM’s for Greece and Turkey

PARTICIPANTS

  • Secretary Quarles
  • Secretary Irwin
  • Secretary Dillon

I explained to Secretaries Quarles and Irwin our continuing concern regarding the IRBM program for Greece and Turkey. This concern arises from the fact there is no assurance that Congress will in fact vote sufficient mutual security funds in coming years to finance both the IRBM’s and other items of modernization required by NATO. I said that in the event insufficient funds were voted we felt that alternative methods of financing the IRBM’s for Greece and Turkey should be seriously considered, specifically the prospect of declaring these two squadrons surplus thus acquiring them at no expense to the Mutual Security Program, with the Air Force replacing the lost funds through its regular appropriation procedures. I said I thought we should discuss this with the President so as to alert him to this problem if it should arise in the future.

Both Messrs. Quarles and Irwin agreed that we should maintain full flexibility regarding the funding of the IRBM’s should military assistance funds be substantially inadequate in future years. However, both felt it better from their point of view not to raise the question of declaring IRBM’s surplus with the President at this time as this would inevitably involve the Bureau of the Budget. In their view this would mean that the Bureau would press for this action irrespective of what appropriations might be available and would attempt to force them to take it into account in requests for future appropriations. They said they were prepared to agree generally with me that they would give serious consideration to this prospect if it should prove necessary because of inadequate appropriations.

Mr. Quarles suggested that a brief letter be forwarded indicating our agreement to proceed with the IRBM’s based on the understandings reached in our conversations, and he said he would note on his copy of the letter the general tenor of our conversation.

[Page 801]

I also raised the question of location of the IRBM squadron in Turkey. Both Messrs. Quarles and Irwin said that they would be glad to give assurances that this matter would be given serious consideration, and they would reach an agreed solution on a location with the State Department. However, they pointed out that, if it was necessary to decide on a location before General Norstad could take the matter up with the Turks, it would lead to considerable delay and also might well be inconclusive since the location would be in any event a matter of mutual agreement between the United States and Turkey. They recommended that they be authorized to proceed on the understanding that the matter of site be left for further agreement between State and Defense at which time State’s views regarding the necessity of avoiding large concentrations of American personnel in one area would be taken fully into account.

I agreed to this procedure and told them that I would promptly prepare a letter along these lines authorizing them to proceed with the Greek and Turk IRBM programs.1

  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 63 A 1672, Greece. Secret. Drafted and initialed by Dillon. A note by Quarles on the source text reads: “Concur in substance DAQ 25 Apr 58 [59].↩
  2. In his April 23 letter to Quarles, Dillon noted:

    “I am prepared to agree to your informing General Norstad that he is free to initiate negotiations with Greece and Turkey for the deployment of one IRBM squadron in each country. I would appreciate your having the message to General Norstad cleared by my office.”

    In Department of Defense telegram 958716, April 24, CINCEUR was instructed to proceed with formal discussions with the Greek and Turkish Governments for the deployment of IRBM squadrons. (Both ibid.)

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