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{
    "localId": "12008570",
    "label": "Memorandum for Record Authored by John S. D. Eisenhower",
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{
    "id": "12008570",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12008570",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum for Record Authored by John S. D. Eisenhower",
    "description": "In this memorandum, President Dwight D. Eisenhower questions his civilian and uniformed defense chiefs about the risks and benefits of current and future aerial intelligence operations over the Soviet Union.",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12008570",
    "creators": [
        "Eisenhower, John S. D. (John Sheldon Doud), 1922-"
    ],
    "collections": [
        "White House Office, Office of the Staff Secretary: Records of Paul T. Carroll, Andrew J. Goodpaster, L. Arthur Minnich, and Christopher H. Russell",
        "Alphabetical Subject Files"
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 12,
            "logicalDate": "1959-02-12",
            "month": 2,
            "year": 1959
        }
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    "seq": 3,
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    "type": "document",
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    "ocrText": "UNCLASSIFIED\nFebruary 12, 1959\nMEMORANDUM FOR RECORD\nAt a meeting held after NSC today, attended by Secretary McElroy,\nSecretary Quarles and General Twining, Mr. McElroy brought up the\nD.\nquestion of aerial reconnaissance over the USSR. He pointed out that\nin the recent Congressional investigations he had been successful in\nThe\nblunting much of the attack on the U.S. posture relative to ICBMs.\nHowever, the Congress was continually concerned over the basic prem-\nises employed by the Department of Defense, that is, our intelligence\nestimates. He pointed out that we know the location of no launching\nplatforms within the USSR. He therefore requested the President to\nconsider the matter of additional overflights of the USSR, citing the\nopinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that our planes will not be shot down.\nGeneral Twining reinforced this request by stating that the Joint Chiefs\nof Staff would certainly like more information. Mr. McElroy would\nlike to obtain permission to do some planning with State and CIA.\nThe President mentioned the project, to build a more advanced plane to\nreplace the U-2, which he thinks is coming along nicely. He feels that\nour activity along these lines should be held to a minimum pending the\navailability of this new equipment. To this Mr. Quarles pointed out that\nthe new equipment will not be available for eighteen months to two years.\nThis argument did not appear to sway the President, however, in that\nhe discounts the capability of the Soviets to build many launching sites\nwithin a year. This he bases on the corresponding construction capa-\nbility within the U.S., observing that we generally overestimate the\ncapability of the USSR to outperform us. He reviewed the controversy\nof two years ago over the number of BISONs and BEARs available to\nthe Soviets. As it turned out, the threat from these aircraft has been\nfar less than had been initially estimated. The President conceded\nthe great advantage held by Mr. Khrushchev over himself, accruing\nfrom the dictatorial methods which Mr. Khrushchev is able to follow.\nThe President is reserved on the request to continue reconnaissance\nflights on the basis that it is undue provocation. Nothing, he says,\nwould make him request authority to declare war more quickly than\nviolation of our air space by Soviet aircraft. He stated that while one\nor two flights might possibly be permissible he is against an extensive\nprogram. A brief discussion followed with respect to the role of recon-\nnaissance satellites. It was agreed that the satellite, since it does not\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 12356, SEC. 3.4 (b)\nUNCLASSIFIED\nSECRET\nmR93-172#2\nBY\nLib\nDATE\n0/27/95\n[2/12/09]\nUNCLASSIFIED\n- 2 -\nviolate air space, cannot be considered in the same light as recon-\nnaissance aircraft. It was agreed that the satellite represents the\n@ Library BELL\ngreatest future in this reconnaissance area.\nAt this time General Goodpaster pointed out that an aerial reconnaissance\nmission in the North had been considered and approved, but had not been\nflown as the result of unfavorable sun angle and unfavorable weather.\nThis cannot be implemented until March. It is rated No. 1 priority. How-\never, after this delay, a new consideration will be necessary. General\nTwining agreed that the area of the USSR to be covered by this planned\nreconnaissance mission in the North is extremely important. (As a side\nissue, the President pointed out that we will at least learn from the next\nreconnaissance flight whether the Soviets have an adequate surface-to-air\nmissile at that time. General Twining pointed out that the Soviets have\nnever fired a missile at one of our reconnaissance aircraft.)\nIn closing, Mr. Quarles noted that there are eight operational recon-\nnaissance satellite flights scheduled for the calendar year 1959. These\nwill be cleared on a case-by-case basis with the President. This was\nagreeable to the President.\nAs the group was leaving, the President pointed out the close relationship\nbetween these reconnaissance programs and the crisis which is impending\nover Berlin. As May 27th approaches, the President believes it would\nbe most unwise to have world tensions exacerbated by our pursuit of a\nprogram of extensive reconnaissance flights over the territory of the\nSoviet Union.\nJohn SD Eisenhown\nJohn S. D. Eisenhower\nUNCLASSIFIED"
}