199. Memorandum of Conference With President Eisenhower1
OTHERS PRESENT
- Secretary of State (for part of meeting)
- Secretary of Defense
- Mr. Allen Dulles
- Secretary of Air Force
- General Twining
- Lt. General Cabell
- Lt. General Putt
- Colonel Goodpaster
Authorization was sought from the President to go ahead on a program to produce thirty special high performance aircraft at a cost of about $35 million. The President approved this action. Mr. Allen Dulles indicated that his organization could not finance this whole sum without drawing attention to it, and it was agreed that Defense would seek to carry a substantial part of the financing.
[Page 574]The Secretary of Defense sought the President’s agreement to taking one last look at the type of operations planned when the aircraft are available. The President indicated agreement.
To a question by the President, the Secretary of State indicated that difficulties might arise out of these operations, but that “we could live through them.”
In summary, the President directed those present to go ahead and get the equipment, but before initiating operations to come in for one last look at the plans.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Ann Whitman Diary. Top Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster on November 24.↩