National Security Council Meeting on Project Solarium
These pages from a National Security Council meeting outline the discussion of President Eisenhower and the council members on Project Solarium.
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OCR Page 1 of 8EVES_ONLY
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SECURITY INFORMATION
b. What were major causes which contributed to the decline,
and their relative importance?
c. When did our prestige reach its lowest ebb?
d.
Has our prestige in the world undergone any significant
change in the last six months?
e. What action should the U. S. take to improve the exist-
ing situation?
NOTE: The above action subsequently referred to the Psycho-
logical Strategy Board for implementation.
5. PROJECT SOLARIUM
(Memo for NSC from Executive Secretary, same subject, dated
July 22, 1953; NSC Action No. 853)
Mr. Cutler introduced this subject by noting that the Solarium
reports had been distributed to Council members and that summaries had
been prepared by the NSC Staff pursuant to NSC Action No. 853. Mr. Cut-
1er then distributed a two-page memorandum on the subject which contained
first a summary of the basic concepts of the three Task Forces, and sub-
sequently a proposed new basic concept.
Mr. Allen Dulles informed the Council that CIA was preparing
a coordinated estimate as to whether time was on our side. He summar-
ized several of the conclusions of this forthcoming estimate as follows:
(1) If the USSR continues its present policies it will close
the economic gap now existing between it and the United States. From
this point of view, time is on the side of the USSR.
(2) The U. S. and the USSR will each acquire weapons capable
of crippling the other. Hence the U. S. is losing its invulnerability
to direct attack.
(3) As Western defense capabilities in overseas areas near
the Soviet Union increase, the relative position of the U. S. is im-
proved, and from this point of view time is on the side of the U. S..
(4) While no collapse within the Soviet bloc can be fore-
seen, the USSR may lack vitality over the long run. From this point
of view time may be on the side of the U. S., but this factor will not
show up critically for 10 or 15 years yet.
Secretary Dulles, referring to the proposed new basic concept
on the second page of the paper distributed by Mr. Cutler, felt that
further study was required on such an obviously complicated subject.
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SECURITI INFORMATION