THE PRESIDENT'S GENERAL MANAGEMENT FOR U.S.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00058R000100090074-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 10, 1998
• Sequence Number: 74
• Publication Date: February 8, 1954
• Content Type: OPEN

FEB 8
10
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pprove For Release 2000/05/24: CIA-RDP70-00058R0 1 o00 0 -0
f
or U. .
The President's General Management
A small group of men, meeting with-
out fanfare in the Cabinet room of the
White House every Thursday, has, in ef-
fect, become the general management of
the United States Government. As such,
this group also has become the demo-
cratic world's most powerful concentra-
tion of influence.
Yet it is doubtful whether one Ameri-
can in 100 could identify the members
of the iopal Security Council-the
proper name of this super-Cabinet-or
tell what they do. While it is duly con-
stituted by law, (the National Security
Act of 1947), and makes no secret of its
existence, neither the council's delibera-
tions nor its decisions are matters of
public record.
Until 1953, the National Security
Council was more a forum for discussion
of broad questions (and an arena in
which conflicts of interest between the
various Federal establishments could be
resolved) than a super-Cabinet which
systematically determined policy.
Foreign-Domestic Tangle: But
President Eisenhower realized that in
the complex mechanism of government
the functions of State, Treasury, and De-
fense overlapped-that the jurisdictions
of foreign policy, military policy, and
fiscal policy were inextricably tangled.
In grave times of domestic and interna-
tionai interdependence, the President
believed, the national security demanded
coordination through a regularly consti-
tuted body rather than through the office
of the President.
The council was tailor-made to serve
e re
I
a
ernational Assoc
Associnted Press Int
Dulles Humphrey Wilson Nixon Stassen Flemming
this purpose. By statute, its members are
the President, Vice President Richard
M. Nixon, Secretary of State John Foster
Dulles, Defense Secretary Charles E.
Wilson, Defense Mobilization Director
Arthur Flemming, and Foreign Opera-
tions Administrator Harold E. Stassen.
No Debating Society
"The National Security Coun-
cil is the real government of the
United StTttes," a very high gov-
ernment official said last week.
"The Cabinet is just a debating
society." While this somewhat
overstates the case-the Cabinet
still handles a large number of
important problems-the council
holds the reins of power. Its de-
cisions touch on the life of every
American and, in fact, of mil-
lions everywhere. On the wis-
dom of the council's leaders
hangs the safety and welfare
of the world and the nation.
Mr. Eisenhower, with Congressional sanc-
tion, designated Treasury Secretary
George Humphrey and Budget Director
Joseph M. Dodge as members.
The. General Staff: Along with such
advisers as Admiral Arthur W. Radford,
chairman of the joint Chiefs of Staff, Di-
rector Allen Dulles of the Central In-
telligence Agency, and Presidentia
Assistant on cold-war planning C.D
Jackson,the council constituted a genera
staff for the President.
This innovation has worked out pr
cisely as Mr. Eisenhower envisioned i
In the first twelve months of the Repu
lican Administration, the council has di
cussed and won Presidential approval
305 major policy decisions, ranging from
broad directives to detailed orde
which previously were left to individuc I
departments or which had dragged alon
without action. These decisions ar
based on the careful research of tl
NSC's Planning Board and staff. On
number of occasions, however, the sta
has operated on a "crash" basis, gathe -
ing material for NSC study in one day.
The NSC Planning Board and st
move into action when alerted th t
a policy problem exists. This alert m y
come from the President, from t, e
board's hard-working chairman, Rob ?t
Cutler, or, as it most often does, fro
a department. One such problem, whi h
because of its unusual nature occupi d
the NSC for a long time and required i i-
tensive study, was the nation's new a r-
atomic defense strategy (see page 2 ).
New Strategy: Before the Preside it
had formulated any statement of the D (w
policy line, the Planning Board and t e
NSC studied every aspect of the pr
tem. The Joint Chiefs, through Admi al
Radford, had their say. Atomic Eller 'y
Commission Chairman Lewis Strauss as
invited to lay before the NSC the b st
thinking of his group. Top State c-
t Pss Newsweek-Ed wergelea
i
t
Newsweek, February 8, 1954
Approved For Release 2000/05f4y -RDP70-00058R000100090074-0
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
 Planners, Doers, Advisers: The most influential
men in the National Security Council's solar system
are (left to right) Robert Cutler, W. Bedell Smith,
Arthur W. Radford, and Allen Dulles. The vastly
complex job of gathering together the data on
which the NSC bases its deliberations falls to Cutler,
chairman of its Planning Board. Cutler, who puts
in a 12-hour day, attends the board's thrice-weekly
meetings and supervises its growing staff. Smith
heads the Operations Coordinating Board, a watch-
dog committee which makes sure that NSC policies
g
report, and a budgetary es m. ? Discussions, which run for two to t rce hrey commands the
se seldom, extremel frank-
any council'slr full att attention. Radford, who
board views of Federal agencies and y boarrd members are included. Then the but th are has spirited
d
question is put on the ny agenda. great respect. As chairman of the Plan
brieItriesing: Prior to any council dis- rancorous Eisenhower outburst. speaks only `when requested, commas s
cussion, the members Board are individually M briefed by Plannining the k. The res _ change
ranges too farrfrom the subject of the cl powers in the council. He has
times and be
cifically dent is briefed assigned to the task. who The P . In dent is briefed by Cutler, who sees Mr. atmscrlf to be an astuterchairmanasgushown id guiding chrrPsemosttof the workload.
Eisenhower frequently and often break- hr
Presi-
fasts with him. discuIkession Dominant: inant: never sInhacthekling ear it. early months revolved, But the Nandational must, Security around the Council has
basis council never votes, but on the
voice Eisenhower among NSC members was council rVice the board of directors of the
basis of its discussions, ussions, the President st o the
is g ' n Government. Mr. Eisenhower
t
are integrated into the activities of all Federal de-
partrnents and agencies. And he sits as a member of
the NSC in Secretary Dulles' absence. Admiral
Radford, who as chairman of the Joints Chiefs of
Staff holds the nation's top military post, is offi-
cially an adviser to the NSC. But his knowledge and
intellectual stature have markedly enhanced his
position. Dulles, director of the Central Intelligence
Agency, reports at all NSC meetings on the situation
'.,in critical areas abroad. His_ brirfings are based on
the Intelligence summaries which pour into CIA.
Pres -
partment planners delved into, and re-
o , the diplomatic and cold war no ttbecome official policy 1 until statement
ported o dent has given his approval.
Thramifiecati resuonslt . was a clear policy directive It then goes to the Operations Co-
from the President: strategic air power ordinating goad byt up last yer,
as the backbone of U.S. defense, a re-
t to see
liance on atomic ground and weapons, the limita- State
forces, and the mission ofl the coordinat coordinating board r
lby all fabithfurancllyhes xofLl the
ion of grouicy is concept of "massive retaliation" against athat nd tsupported
further Soviet aggression. tive In general, the council's procedure ex This is tdie artmentprocedure followed
follows a careful routine set by the the NSC. The President usually
e
Eisenhower Administration. Over a pe- by
riod of weeks, the Planning Board staff launches discussion of th topics of she
gathers views and data from all agencies agenda,
which have a special competence in the t a h his questions ccut away. obless ntMrs
pd to e of roblem being considered. The board it- get
self will discuss these data, sitting over Eisenhower v sstudiously avoids shoei g mem or
them for many as 25 san any
After sifting, evaluating, and boiling consultant. Mr. Eisenhower tries to avoid
down this material, the staff prepares a letting his own sentiments be known mente
ken
unt
-even detailed summary, a heavily tdoate Con- hasrlalready hmades up his mind When he
h'
ing hre 's. He was the first Amer'"
makes a decision. When the mee
boarded that he is t e
over, Cutler puts the NSC recommends- Secretary Hump Y
It is then circulated of the new team to acclimatize himself to has clearly demonstrat
to all members, some of whom sugges Newsweek, February 8, 19,14
Secretary Dulles exerted the most in-
fluence on the NSC's thinking. Today, it
would be difficult to point to any one man
as the dominant personality-the Presi-
dent always excepted. The men who
carry the most weight in major fields of
policy are Secretaries Wilson, Dulles,
and Humphrey with Stassen and. Nixon,
who presides in the President's absence.
Dulles does not talk very much, but it
is the consensus among NSC members
that when he does so, he talks extremely
well. Wilson tends to be inarticulate, but
the record he has been building up in
the Defense Department gives what he
says status. Nixon speaks up when dis-
cussions touch on fields of his special
competence, and on the political reper-
cussions of a debated policy. Since his
return from the Far East, his impact on
the council has increased considerably.
Idea Man Stasseu: Stassen's stock
has been rising steadily. He is considered
ood idea man. On matters relating to
a
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