Office of the Historian

240. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Dulles and Director of Central Intelligence Dulles1

Washington, November 22, 1955, 3:39 p.m.

The Sec. referred to Grayback.2 Radford has written Wilson,3 who took it up with the Pres., requesting that he be authorized to proceed. [Page 733] The Sec. has reservations about it—this is a dangerous and cumbersome way of going about it. AWD said there are two feelings in Defense. AWD talked with Quarles the other day. AWD thinks it will get them so alerted it will spoil other things he thinks have more potential.4 The Sec. has to make a decision. AWD suggested they, Radford, Wilson and Quarles get together—AWD does not feel he knows enough about the potential to pass good judgment. The Sec. said they want authority here before December 1. The Sec. may call Wilson to see if it can wait until next week, or maybe Hoover can handle it. The Sec. said the Pres. is dubious about it on general principles. The Sec. said a lot of money was spent on it. The Sec. will find out how fast it has to move.

AWD said Strauss will use “megaton” instead of “large” in the release for Thursday’s papers. The Sec. said o.k.

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Papers of John Foster Dulles, Telephone Conversations, General. No classification marking. Drafted by Phyllis D. Bernau. Secretary Dulles placed the call.↩
  2. Formerly known as Project Genetrix. See Document 229.↩
  3. Memorandum from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense, November 16. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1955–60, 711.5261/11–1655)↩
  4. Dulles is alluding to the U–2 which would fly over Eastern Europe in June 1956.↩