Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower papers, Whitman file
Memorandum of Discussion at the 157th Meeting of the National Security Council, Thursday, July 30, 19531
eyes only
[Extract]
The following were present at the 157th meeting of the National Security Council: The President of the United States, presiding (except for the first part of Item 1, which was presided over by the Vice President); the Vice President of the United States; the Secretary of State; the Secretary of Defense; the Director for Mutual Security; the Director, Office of Defense Mobilization. Also present were the Secretary of the Treasury; the Attorney General; the Secretary of Commerce (for Item 1); the Assistant Secretary of Commerce (for Item 1); the Director, Bureau of the Budget; the Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (for Item 5); the Federal Civil Defense Administrator (for Item 5); Robert R. Bowie, Department of State (for Item 5); Walter S. Delany, Office of the Director for Mutual Security (for Item 1); Kenneth R. Hansen, Economic Defense Advisory Committee (for Item 1); the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; the Director of Central Intelligence; Robert Cutler, Special Assistant to the President; C. D. Jackson, Special Assistant to the President; Col. Paul T. Carroll, Acting White House Staff Secretary; the Executive Secretary, NSC; Marion W. Boggs, Coordinator, NSC Planning Board Assistants.
There follows a summary of the discussion at the meeting and the chief points taken.
. . . . . . .
6. Armaments and American Policy (NSC 151; NSC Action No. 799–c and –d; Memo for NSC from Executive Secretary, same subject, dated July 28, 1953)2
Mr. Cutler noted that at its 146th meeting the Council had directed the Psychological Strategy Board to prepare an outline of specific steps, including speeches by Government officials, to carry out the recommendations in NSC 151. The reference memorandum of July 28 was the response to this directive.
[Page 1185]The President said that if the “Candor Project” were to be undertaken at all it should be undertaken soon. He added that the speeches listed in the enclosure to the reference memorandum were not exclusive; all speeches by Cabinet members should be related to “Project Candor”.
Mr. C. D. Jackson felt that the opening speech by the President might be an atomic “candor” speech.
The President said that a variety of presentation was necessary. Members of the Administration gave the people guides as to policy every time they appeared in public. The Administration should take the public into its confidence where the public has to make decisions or form public opinion. However, we did not have to tell everything.
Admiral Strauss objected to the connotations of the word “candor”. He felt that if you said, “Now we are going to be candid”, this implied deception up to now.
The President said that we could say, “Now we are being completely frank.” He agreed that we should not beat our breasts and say, “Look, we are candid.” The President also suggested that the phrase “age of peril” should be deleted in connection with “Project Candor”.
The National Security Council:3
- a.
- Approved in principle the proposed program for informing the American people, contained in the reference memorandum, to include follow-up addresses by Government officials.
- b.
- Directed the Psychological Strategy Board to coordinate the development and implementation of the program, reporting back to the Council on progress made.
Note: The above actions referred to the Psychological Strategy Board for implementation.
. . . . . . .
- Prepared by Marion W. Boggs on July 31.↩
- For NSC 151, May 8, see p. 1150. For NSC Action No. 799, see footnote 4, p. 1174. The memorandum by Lay of July 28, not printed, transmitted to the NSC a memorandum dated July 23 from C. D. Jackson (acting in his capacity as Chairman of the PSB) which outlined a plan of specific steps, including speeches by the President, Secretary Dulles, and others, which would fulfill the recommendations concerning atomic “candor” contained in NSC 151. (S/S–NSC files, lot 66 D 95, “NSC 151 Memos”)↩
- Paragraphs a–b constitute NSC Action No. 869, July 30, 1953. (S/S–NSC files, lot 66 D 95, “NSC Records of Action”)↩