Memorandum of Informal Psychological Strategy Board Meeting

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGY BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.

July 1, 1953

MEMORANDUM OF INFORMAL PSB MEETING, JULY 1, 1953.

Place: Office of the Under Secretary of State

Present: Messrs. [C.D.] Jackson, [Walter Bedell] Smith, [Roger M.] Kyes, [Allen] Dulles, [Harold E.] Stassen and [George A.] Morgan

Agenda Item 1. Interim U.S. Psychological Plan for Exploitation of Unrest in Satellite
Europe.

PSB D-45, draft of June 29, 1953, was approved.

Agenda Item 2. Implementation of PSB D-45.

Mr. Jackson stressed the importance of vigorous implementation of PSB D-45 and its amended summary which has been approved by the President as NSC 158. He urged that each Board member pass the word to his subordinates that prompt and vigorous follow-up on this plan is desired. He also proposed that Mr. O'Connor of the PSB Staff be named as the person to follow up on implementation in consultation with principal expediters to be named for each member agency. Mr. Dulles named Mr. Sidney Stein. General Smith asked me to get in touch with Mr. Phillips who would inform me as to the State Department designee. Mr. Kyes stressed that no split opinions among the PSB and agency designees should be allowed to defeat implementation of any feature of the approved plan, and that in case of such disagreement the matter should be referred back to the Board for decision.

Agenda Item 3. Bermuda Conference

Mr. Jackson said that he had placed the postponement of the Bermuda Conference on the agenda principally because he had hoped that the conference would produce something of major importance for the East German situation. General Smith said that communiqués being drafted for the July 10th meeting of Foreign Ministers should play a valuable role. Several members of the Board expressed the feeling that the United States had not reacted strongly enough to the East German riots and hoped that other ways of doing so could be found. Mr. Stassen stressed the importance of getting some kind of arms to the West Germans, perhaps for border guards or other semi-military formations, at the earliest possible moment. General Smith agreed to look into the matter further. Mr. Dulles also proposed that the possibility of an offer of food to the East German people be given immediate study. I reported that this was already underway in connection with the implementation of NSC 158 and said that if action became advisable before the next Board meeting we would ask the staffs concerned to clear the matter with their principals without further delay.

[…]

[Signed]

George A. Morgan
Acting Director