Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Eastern Europe, Volume XXV

12. Letter From the Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Anderson)¹

New York, April 13, 1955.

Dear Dillon: First let me tell you how delighted I was to learn that you had been appointed to succeed Bobby Cutler in the National Security Council. You were always my “candidate” for this position, and it pleases me very much to think that you have it. You are undoubtedly finding out now what a very difficult job it is. But I hope that the contribution to public service, which I know you will make, will more than compensate in your own mind for the effort which you must expend.

I also write in connection with Bobby’s memorandum to Mr. Hoover of March 31 concerning the Volunteer Freedom Corps.²

As he told you, I have had a very close interest in this, and, as a Senator, sponsored legislation to set it up.³ In fact, I am the author of the phrase “Volunteer Freedom Corps.”

As Bobby says, the whole matter was put on ice because of the fear that pressing it might endanger ratification of the Paris accords. Now that ratification has been achieved,⁴ he suggests that a new and very hard look be taken at the idea.

I agree, and submit three thoughts in connection therewith:

1. If World War III should ever come and we should not have the personnel which would enable us to assimilate, militarily speaking, the millions of anti-communist Slavs which would then be available—if, in other words, we were, in the event of World War III, to have repeated Hitler’s error of not having been equipped with officers and non-commissioned officers to assimilate the anti-communist Slavs—we would certainly have convicted ourselves either of gross unwillingness or incapacity to learn from experience. Our own armed forces would, of course, pay for this failure to take prompt advantage of such a splendid source of military manpower.

2. When this matter comes up in the National Security Council,⁵ we should look particularly to see whether we can make a start on a Volunteer Freedom Corps on our own to be related to our own forces (although, of course, not a part thereof), without any clearance from Great Britain or France. If we ask them for their consent, we may not get it. On the other hand, if we do it without asking them, it can no longer be truthfully alleged that this will prevent ratification of the Paris accords.

3. I understand that there is considerable apathy concerning this project. In view of the President’s interest, the least we can do is to restudy it⁶—not simply because he is President, but because his expert standing in this field is unique in the U.S. Government.

I am sending copies of this letter to C. D. Jackson, General Crittenberger and Brigadier General Dale O. Smith of O.C.B.

With best wishes,

Sincerely yours,

Cabot L.

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Project Clean up. Top Secret. Anderson became the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs on April 2.
2. Not found.
3. Reference is to the Alien Enlistment Act of 1950, PL. 597 (64 Stat. 316), approved June 30, 1950.
4. See footnote 5, Document 9.
5. The matter was discussed by the Council on September 8; see Document 30.
6. In a letter to Lodge of April 16, Anderson responded that he would “try to get better educated on this subject” and suggested that he and Lodge talk about it. Lodge responded with a letter of April 25 to Anderson suggesting NSC study of a plan for U.S. formation, without publicity, of 6 battalions of the Volunteer Freedom Corps. The battalions would be organized without consultation with other nations and trained under the direction of each of the 6 U.S. divisions in Germany and then formed into a corps. In a letter to Lodge of May 3, apparently in response to Lodge’s letter of April 25, Anderson informed Lodge that the OCB was proceeding “with a thorough new look at the Volunteer Freedom Corps from all aspects of the problem.” (Eisenhower Library, Project Clean Up)