Office of the Historian

141. National Security Action Memorandum No. 1590

Washington, May 31, 1962.

MEMORANDUM FOR

  • The Secretary of State
  • The Secretary of Defense
  • The Administrator,AID

SUBJECT

  • Methods for Improving the Coordination of Economic and Military Aid Programs1

I have reviewed the memorandum submitted by the Administrator, AID2 in response to paragraph 4 of NSC Action 2447 and generally endorse the actions he plans to take. While I recognize that considerable experiment may still be necessary before we devise the most effective techniques for [Page 308] getting the best overall “mix” of US aid to any given country, the actions planned appear to me to be a major step in the right direction.

I expect the AID Administrator, as part of his responsibility for continuous supervision and general direction of foreign assistance programs, to put the new procedures promptly into effect. It is my desire that all agencies concerned render him full and effective cooperation to this end.

If any major complications arise in this process, I would like them brought promptly to my attention. I also desire a progress report on actions taken and any further recommendations in the light of the experience gained with the new procedures no later than 15 January 1963.3

John F. Kennedy
  1. Source: Department of State, S/S-NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAM No. 159. Secret. A copy was sent to David Bell.↩
  2. In a May 31 memorandum to the President, Komer provided background on the problems of coordinating military and economic aid. He also indicated that the President’s staff and the Bureau of the Budget strongly supported the AID proposals, and suggested that the President sign this NSAM “to put the necessary steam behind the exercise,” which was “designed to endorse AID’s efforts and to stimulate Hamilton to take hold firmly of his supervisory responsibilities.” (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, NSAM No. 159)↩
  3. Document 140.↩
  4. Monitoring the progress of this report as well as the related tasking for a final report on NSC Record of Action No. 2447 (see Documents 130 and 140) are summarized in Department of State, Follow Up Reports: Lot 70 D 264, Vols. VI-IX. Ultimately, the White House agreed to defer the report on NSAM No. 159 for further review (memorandum from Herbert Gordon (S/S-S) to John A. McKesson (S/S), October 9, 1963; ibid., Follow Up Report for the Period May 29, 1962 through June 1964), but the report still had not been submitted by late 1963 when the President’s Committee To Examine the Foreign Assistance Program assumed responsibility for the review of foreign military and economic assistance planning. See Document 175.↩