Legislative Leadership Meeting Regarding Earth Satellites

DETERMINED TO BE AN CONFIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATIVE MARKING E.O. 11652, Section 1 By bc NLE, Date 11/29/11 LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP MEETING January 7, 1958 SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES National Security - Missiles - Satellites - Sen. Saltonstall noted the situation developing in the Defense Preparedness hearings, and how some heat generated from Gen. Gavin's resignation. The President commented that he had had absolutely no advance notice of Gen. Gavin's intention to resign until he saw it in the nowspapers. His behavior was hard to understand, for if it was greater centralization he was after, that was what the President wanted too. and Sen. Saltonstall understood that Gen. Gavin had wanted assignment to the only 4-star post of the Army in the Continental U.S. but General Taylor had told him he ought to stay with missiles for another year, then there would be a post for him in Europe where he could expect promotion within the year. Sen. Saltonstall then went on to say that Gen. Gavin dida't want to stay with missiles for another year because he wasn't satiefied with the budget set-up for missiles, and he didn't want to have to testify before Congress on that. Only after that did he testify on unification. Sen. Saltonstall added that Gen. Gavin had originally requested $519 million for Army missile development, had agreed to a figure of $372 million, and had only gotten $374 million, of which some $18 million had to be devoted to the continuation of Jupiter and Redstone, which Gen. Gavin did not desire to do. The President commented on how Dr. Killian had given much attention to the programs for research, that a very generous $5 billion was set up for research and development, and that things were moving so rapidly that there might well be additional requests for 30 or 40 or 50 million dollars for baste research. The President noted how inter-service rivalries had come out into the open. He knew of several specifics, but they were not so important as public reaction to this rivairy, so he was devoting a big piece of the Message to what the Administration intends to do about it. There was extensive discussion of the actual strength of the United States that exists in contrast with the sudden coscern about Russia being ahead. The Leaders urged the President to mako a stroag personal-type statement that would inspire the trust and confidence of the American people. The President replied that actually he had been trying to play down the situation, but perhaps he had been guilty of understatement in regard to the strength of the Nation's defenses despite Sputnik. The Leaders commented on the defeatism evident in so many news- paper columna. The President commented that history seemed to be CONFIDENTIAL