Memorandum of Conference with the President Authored by John S. D. Eisenhower

TOP SECRET September 6, 1960 by MEMORANDUM OF CONFERENCE WITH THE PRESIDENT July 1, 1960 -- 12:00 Noon Others present: General Twining Secretary Merchant Colonel H. L. Wood Captain E.R. Hardin General Goodpaster Colonel Eisenhower The meeting opened with a briefing by Captain Hardin, appended hereto. Captain Hardin showed the President that the first mission, if resumption of the ELINT missions is authorized, would be almost totally nonprovoca- - tive in nature. In answer to a question by the President, he pointed out that the British perform missions of the same type in the European area. We work closely and share information with them. The British Comet, along with the Canberra, flies ELINT missions at feet. Recent British ELINT missions have brought normal reaction from the Soviets. In one case Soviet fighters approached to a point of 30 nautical miles from the aircraft. In another case they approached to within five nautical miles. This is not the least bit unusual, and often in the past fighters have come within two nautical miles and have travelled parallel to the aircraft "pacing" it. The Swedish fighters, in order to protect their neutrality, also scramble and often pace the ELINT aircraft. In response to another question by the President, Captain Hardin pointed out that the Soviets have flown similar ELINT missions off Alaska. He pointed out a disagreement which occurred between the Intelligence and Air Defense people as to the nature of the U.S. response to these missions. The Intelligence people had been successful in deterring the Air Defense forces from reacting more strongly than the Soviets normally do to ours. DECLASSIFIED WITH DELETIONS TOP SECRET E.O. 12958, SEC. 3.6(b) Agency Case OSD 96-M-01171 NLE Case 95-118-01 By His NLE Date/11/97