THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03362A000500180006-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 20, 2003
• Sequence Number: 6
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For e easetNetn*416-ppp78-03360500180006-9
'64?711.-11:0
NSC REVIEW
COMPLETED
_ NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
By
James S. Lay, Jr.
Asst. Executive Secretary
UNCLIiSatirt71)
Approved For Release 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-03362A000500180006-9
Approved For4ease 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-0336240.90500180006-9
THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL*
By James S. LaY, Jr.,
Asst. Executive Secretary
The complex and numerous problems facing this nation and the govern-
mental machinery required to handle them place an extremely heavy adminis-
trative burden upon the President of the United States. Nowhere is this
more evident than in the field of national security. In its broadest sense
this field involves practically every Department and Agency of the
Government and is affected to some degree by practically every governmental
policy. Yet each Department or Agency has its own field of responsibility
and is a spokesman for its particular point of view. The President must
reconcile, correlate, coordinate and integrate all of these diverse interests
into national policies which will insure the security of the United States.
Recognizing this problem and its vital importance, the President
recommended and Congress in the National Security Act of 1947 provided
for the creation of a National Security Council "to advise the President
with respect to the integration of domestic, foreign and military policies
relating to the national security so as to enable the services and the
other Departments and Agencies of the Government to cooperate more
effectively in matters involving the national security.? The President
himself was designated to preside over this Council. The other permanent
members are the Secretary of State, to present considerations of foreign
policy; the Secretaries of Defense, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force,
to present considerations of military policy; and the Chairman of the
National Security Resources Board, to present considerations concerning
the coordination of domestic, military, industrial and civilian mobiliza-
tion. As required in specific cases and aa designated by the President,
the Secretaries of the other Executive Departments, the Chairman of the
Munitions Board and the Chairman of the Research and Development Board
may also sit as Council members.
The National Security Council, excer, for its direction of the
Central Intelligence Agency, is purely an advisory body to the President.
It does not itself determine policy. The end result of its deliberations
are recommendation to the President who may accept, reject or modify them
in his determination of the policies relating to the national security.
Through this new vehicle, therefore, the President is assured that
the views of the heads of all Departments and Agencies concerned with the
national security have been considered and so far as possible mutually
* eprin
Z-11
rom American ore gn ervice
Vol. 25, No. 3, March 1948.
ourna
Approved For Release 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-03362A000500180006-9
Approved For444Irease 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-033690500180006-9
2 -
agreed -upon prior to Presidential consideration. The Council is in no
way a buffer to insulate the President, nor does it detract from or
infringe upon the prerogatives of the various Executive Departments and
Agencies. On the contrary, it insures that all views are heard and, if
agreement cannot be reached, that the divergent opinions are presented
to the President.
In order to assist the Council in obtaining and reconciling the
views of all interested Departments and Agencies, the National Security
Act of 1947 provides the Council with a staff headed.by a civilian
executive secretary appointed by the President. The first Executive
Secretary is Sidney W. Souers. Mr. Souers, a business executive in
New Orleans and St. Louis in civilian life, served as a reserve officer
in Naval Intelligence during the war and was Deputy Chief of Naval
Intelligence when he reverted to inactive status in 1946. Subsequently,
he helped to organize the National Intelligence Authority and the Central
Intelligence Groupj and was the first Director of Central Intelligence.
Having completed the formative stages of CIG, he returned to civilian
life, but was recently recalled to Washington as a consultant on intel-
ligence matters to the Atomic Energy Commission.
To advise and assist Mr. Souers, each head of a Department repre-
sented on the Council has designated his chief policy or operational
planner. George F. Kennan, Foreign Service Officer and Director of the
Policy Planning Staff, represents the Department of State. The other
representatives are Lt. Gen. A. C. Wedemeyer from the Army, Rear Admiral
C. W. Styer from the Navy (pending the designation of a successor to
Vice Admiral Forrest P. Sherman), and Lt. Gen. Lauris Norstad from the
Air Force. In addition, R. H. Hillenkoetter, Director of Central
Intelligencej normally participates as a member of this group, generally
referred to as the "NSC Consultants."
The NBC staff itself, except for Mr. Souers and James S. Lay,
Assistant Executive Secretary, consists largely of individuals detailed
from the offices of the above Consultants. The Department of State
furnishes the coordinator of this working staff. George H. Butler,
former U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, served temporarily as
the first coordinator but no successor has been chosen. The other members
detailed to the staff are Henry S. Villard? Foreign Service Officer from
the Department of State, Lt. Col. Douglas V. Johnson from the Army,
Captain B. L. Austin from the Navy, and Col. R. C. Heflebower from the
Air Force. Foreign Service Officer Prescott Childs, who is at present
assigned to the Central Intelligence Agency, represents that body,
Approved For Release 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-03362A000500180006-9
Approved For4,40ease 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-0336240000500180006-9
-3
while a representative of the National Security Resource Board will soon
be designated. Permanent members of the staff include Marion W. Boggs,
formerly of the Department of State, and a small group of specially
qualified research and clerical personnel. It is planned to expand this
permanent staff gradually by the addition of carefully selected career
personnel who have outstanding abilities as students and analysts of
world affairs.
This HSC staff works as a team in the preparation of reports for
consideration by the Council. The first step is usually a meeting of
the staff to define the subject and scope of a given report. Each staff
member then obtains the facts, views and opinions of his Department or
Agency on the subject from its particular point of view. For example, the
political and economic aspects are obtained from the Department of State;
the military aspects from the Army, Navy and Air Force; the intelligence
estimate from the Central Intelligence Agency; and considerations of
domestic resources from the National Security Resources Board. A second
staff meeting is called to analyze the facts and to discuss and reconcile,
in general terms, the varying views and opinions. One member is usually
designated to prepare a first draft based upon this discussion. Each
member checks this draft with all interested branches of his Department
or Agency, and another staff meeting is held to reconcile any remaining
divergencies and to agree upon a final staff draft. This draft is then
sent to the NSC Consultants for their reactions. When their concurrence
is obtained, the report is submitted to the Council for consideration at
its next meeting. If appropriate, the Secretary of Defense obtains the
military comments of the Joint Chiefs of Staff prior to the Council
meeting. The report as adopted by the Council is then submitted for
consideration by the President.
The duties of the Council* specifically assigned by the National
Security Act of 1947 are:
(1) to assess and appraise the objectives, commitments,
and risks of the United States in relation to our actual and
potential military power, in the interest of national security,
for the purpose of making recommendations to the president in
connection therewith; and
(2) to consider policies on matters of common interest to
the Departments and Agencies of the Government concerned with the
national security, and to make recommendations to the President
in connection therewith.
*See Chart.
Approved For Release 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-03362A000500180006-9
Approved Forease 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-03362490500180006-9
Policies considered by the Council under (2) above run the gamut of
our national security interests including such matters as export control,
foreign information programs, base rights, etc. These generally are
referred to the Council by one of its members or as a result of study by
interdepartmental organizations such as the State-Army-Navy-Air Force
coordinating Committee and, after consideration, are submitted to the
President. If approved by him, all appropriate Departments and Agencies
are directed to implement such policies, usually subject to the coordina-
tion of the cabinet member having primary interest in the subject. The
Council, being an advisory body, does not participate in the implementation
of such approved policies.
The preparation of reports required by (1) above has been made a
continuing assignment to the NSC staff. This is being accomplished by
the preparation of reports on the position of the United States with respect
to specific countries or world areas in order of priority based upon their
relative urgency and importance. From these country and area studies,
reports on a world-wide basis are being formulated. When completed, this
series of reports will present to the President a clear and comprehensive
picture of the objectives, commitments and risks of the United States in
relationship to our military power, as it affects the national security.
This will provide a sound basis for the formulation of domestic, foreign
and military policies and for the conduct of affirs in a consistent and
farsighted manner required by our position of world leadership and in the
interest of world peace and our awn national security.
Sidney William Sailers is Executive Secretary of the National
Security Council. Immediately prior to this appointment he, in the capacity
of consultant, recently completed a survey of intelligence requirements
of the Atomic Energy Commission and proposed a program which has been
adopted by the Commission and the National Intelligence Authority. He
previously participated in the formulation of plans for the creating of
the National Intelligence Authority and its implementing agency, the
Central Intelligence Group, of which he was appointed the first Director.
He served in this capacity until it was fully operative and a permanent
Director was appointed.
Approved For Release 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-03362A000500180006-9
Approved For Release 2003/05/0? i-r.4419IF7D0336;4t20500180006-9
James Selden Lay, Jr. is Assistant Executive Secretary of the
National Security Council. From December 1946 to September 1947 he
was Chief of the Projects Division of the Office of Reports and
Estimates of the Central Intelligence Group, having served previously
as Secretary, National Intelligence Authority. Prior to his connection
? with the National Intelligence Authority he was a Management Analyst for
the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State in Charge of Research and
Intelligence.
uNC
Approved For Release 2003/05/06 : CIA-RDP78-03362A000500180006-9