NATIONAL SECURITY POICY


Mutual Defense Assistance Act of 1949: Hearings Before the Com/mit-
tee on Foreign Affairs, United States House of Representatives -(81st
Cong., 2nd sess.). On July 19, the House of Representatives approved
the Senate "legislation by a vote of 362-1. Signed by President Truman
on July '26, the measure became PL 81-621, An Act To Amend the
Mutual Defense Assistance Act of 1949 (64 Stat. 373). Appropriations
were provided as part -of the omnibus appropriation bill for FY 1951
which Was signed by' the President on September 6 (PL 81-75; 649
Stat. 595).
711.5,9/6-650
Memorandumrof Conversation, by the Director of the Executive
      Secreta   t of the Department of S-tate (McWilliams)

TOP SECZET                            [WASHINGTON,] JJune 6, 1 950.
            MEETING or ADVISORY COMMIrTEE,' JUNE 6
 Participants: Mr. Webb         Mr. FiSher
               Mr. Jessup       Mr. Nitze
               Mr. Barrett      Mr. McW-iliams
   Mr, Nitze summarized the paper for discussion-a statement of
 differences in planning assumptions with rfespect to NSC 68 between
 the NSRB and the Department.' The NSRB has put forard a maxi-
 mum program of civil defenws-e which essentially is designed t-ocare
 for the civilian population after a war has started, The Department
 believes that we can not do everything under the guise of NSC 68
 and tha twe should concentrate on the things we can do which we feei
 will help prevent a pstble war rathe~r than to proceed on the assump-
 tion that a war will occur in the near future and to plan What should
 be done then.
   Mr. Fisher pointed out that he asked to have this subject put on
 the agenda because tids is the first time we are meeting this argument
 which will be presented many more times in thefiftur. u He pointed
 out that by indicating the.mnecessity of buildi'g p forces you auto-
 matically create a frame.of mind which onsidersthat war is immedi-
 -ate and this in turn make8 it ipossible to achievveour objective which
 is preventing a war.
   SThe Under Secretary's Adv4isory Committee, consisting of certain p-rinciia1
 officers of the Department other than the, Assistant Secretaries for-geographic
 areas, first met on May 9. The consetsus of that meeting was that the Com-
 mittee should be used "to :provide high-level poliey guidance oen major
foreign
 policy problems. It was agreed that aspects of NSC 68 should be discussed
at
 future meetings. ,(611.00/5-1050)
   Reference is to document AC D-1, June 5, "Differences in Planning
Assump-
   tions in NSC 68," not printed.


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