286. Editorial Note
At the 412th meeting of the National Security Council on July 9, 1959, during a discussion of a draft of NSC 5906, “Basic National Security Policy,” the President made comments relating to China. His remarks occurred in the context of discussion concerning whether nuclear weapons should be regarded as conventional weapons. According to the memorandum of discussion by Gleason, July 9, Secretary of Defense McElroy said “the real issue seemed to him to be whether we proposed to fight a vigorous limited military engagement with Soviet Russia or Communist China without having recourse to the use of nuclear weapons.” Gleason’s memorandum of discussion continues as follows:
“In replying to Secretary McElroy’s point, the President said that if the Chinese Communists simply went after the little Off-Shore Islands, such a military engagement would not involve a nuclear war. On the other hand, if the Chinese Communists launched a major attack on Formosa, the result would be general war. With considerable warmth the President insisted that it was nonsense to imagine that we could invade the vast land mass of China, with a population of 600 million people, without making use of nuclear weapons. If anyone thought differently on this subject, then he, the President, would recommend that such an individual cease to act as one of the President’s advisers. It seemed inconceivable to the President that we could engage Communist China in full-scale war without depending on nuclear weapons.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC records)
Documentation on the NSC 5906 series is scheduled for publication in volume III.