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

30. Memorandum of Discussion at the 258th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, September 8, 1955¹

Washington, September 8, 1955

[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and agenda items 1 and 2. The Vice President presided at the meeting.]

3. Activation of a Volunteer Freedom Corps (NSC 143/2; Memo for NSC from Executive Secretary, same subject, dated August 5 [4?], 1955²)

After Mr. Anderson had briefed the Council on this Progress Report, Secretary Hoover asked permission to add one more comment. He said the fact that West Germany had become a sovereign state meant that the United States must secure the agreement of the German Government before implementing plans for a Volunteer Freedom Corps. The reasons for the delay in seeking the consent of the West German Government were three-fold: the Geneva meeting at the summit; the forthcoming meeting of the Foreign Ministers at Geneva; and Chancellor Adenauer’s approaching negotiations with Moscow. Obviously this was not the moment to approach Chancellor Adenauer.³ Secretary Hoover added that Ambassador Lodge had written to him of his continued interest and anxiety that the VFC project be implemented,⁴ but that the Ambassador himself agreed that the implementation could not take place in the context of the present situation in Europe.

Mr. Anderson commented that Secretary Hoover’s observations were consistent with the proposed actions in the Progress Report, and the Vice President added that they were likewise consistent with the President’s views as to the implementation of the VFC.

The National Security Council:⁵

a. Noted and discussed the Progress Report on the subject transmitted by the reference memorandum.

b. Concurred in the recommendations of the Operations Coordinating Board contained in paragraph 5 of the Progress Report on NSC 143/2.

Note: The recommendations referred to in b above subsequently approved by the President. Accordingly, an appropriate amendment to NSC 143/2 circulated for information,⁶ and the approved recommendation referred to the OCB as the coordinating agency, subject to determination as to timing by the Secretary of State in consultation with the Secretary of Defense.

[Here follow agenda items 4–8.]

S. Everett Gleason

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason on September 15.
2. See footnote 1, Document 26.
3. At Henry Cabot Lodge’s urging, Dulles wrote Ambassador James B. Conant in Bonn explaining the status of the Volunteer Freedom Corps and asking for an expression of Conant’s views “without consulations with the Chancellor, on the likelihood of obtaining a favorable reaction from him when the time comes.” (Letters from Lodge to Dulles, August 4, and Dulles to Conant, August 16; Department of State, Central Files, 740.5/8–455 and 740.5/8–1655) Writing on behalf of Conant, Chargé Dowling gave his tentative reaction that while Adenauer might regard the proposal “with considerable personal sympathy he would feel impelled for domestic political reasons to decide against it.” Dowling continued that the opposition Socialists would exploit it and their propaganda would find “some response” among Adenauer’s own party in the Bundestag. (Letter from Dowling to Dulles, August 19; ibid., 740.5/8–1955)
4. Reference is to a letter from Lodge to Hoover, September 6, encouraging support at the NSC for the Volunteer Freedom Corps. (Ibid., S/S–NSC Files: Lot 61 D 167, Volunteer Freedom Corps)
5. Paragraphs a–b and the Note that follow constitute NSC Action No. 1434, approved by the President on September 13. (Ibid., S/S–NSC (Miscellaneous) Files: Lot 66 D 95, Records of Action by the National Security Council)
6. This amendment, a version of paragraph 5, was circulated in a memorandum from Lay to the NSC, September 16 (ibid., S/P–NSC Files: Lot 61 D 167, Volunteer Freedom Corps) and is the version printed in the OCB Progress Report on NSC 143/2, Document 26.