NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY


    The report's conclusions may be briefly summarized as follows: The
 Kremlin is waging total war against the free world, a ruthless and
 unrelenting struggle within which "cold war" and "shooting
war" are
 merely tactical phases. They are currently endeavoring to make the
 most of the tidal wave of social change generated by World War Two
 with the minimum objective of capturing half the world before the
 wave subsides and perhaps with the hope that they may be able to
 achieve sufficient gains to prepare the free world for a final push with-
 out the' latter having been able to attain post-war stabilization. They
 have passed through the first phase of exploiting the World War
 tidal wave which consisted of effecting revolutionary conquests under
 cover of war-engendered good will, meanwhile rehabilitating Soviet
 heavy industry and military machine and are now in the second phase,
 an openly revolutionary offensive in which, relying upon a wave of
 rebellion against "imperialism" in dependent areas and a western
 economic depression, they hope to encompass certain given regions
 before the free world can recover, perhaps by 1953. To accomplish
 these objectives Moscow is steering a course as close as possible to full-
 scale war short of actually precipitating it. The danger that war may
 occur through Soviet miscalculation will in circumstances doubtless
 grow considerably but the probability that the Kremlin is still far
 from considering itself ready for global warfare is supported by most
 of the available evidence and while incidents and limited hostilities
 may be expected it seems probable that Moscow will endeavor to
 avoid a showdown until it attains overwhelming superiority of force.
   Sent Department 1214, Department pass London 161, Paris 168,
 Frankfort 86.


 Policy Planning Staff Files
 Alemorandwi   by the Executive Secretary of the National Security
         Council (Lay) to the Ad Hoc Committee on NSC (68

TOP SECRET                             WASHINGTON, April 28, 1950.
Subject: Initial Questions Confronting the Committee
  In a letter of April 12 to the Executive Secretary of the National
Security Council, the President referred the Report by the Secretaries
of State and Defense, dated April 7, 1950, to the National Security
Council fo.r consideration, with a. request that the NSC provide him
with further information on the implications of its Conclusions.' He
requested that the NSC give -a clear indication of the programs en-

  'For both the report of April 7 and the President's letter of April 12,
see NSC
68, p. 234.
     496-36 77   20


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