711.5/12–550
Memorandum by the Ambassador at Large (Jessup)1 to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Lay)2
Subject: Proposed NSC Study of Manpower
It has perhaps long been apparent to all of us that manpower resources, their availability and utilization, pose a problem of greatest importance to our national security. Because of the importance of this problem, I have attempted to put down in this memorandum a few random thoughts which I hope may elicit further discussion by the Senior Staff with a view to the preparation of a report to the Council on this subject.
Any consideration of the manpower problem at the present time immediately brings to mind our needs for military manpower. It seems quite obvious that we may not be as fortunate in our sources of military manpower in any future conflict as we were in the past. I am led to believe, therefore, that we should plan to make the best possible use of such manpower as may be available to us. In all likelihood we may not in time of war have available large contributions [Page 422] of manpower which we formerly got from the subcontinent of India, and there may be reductions in the numbers available from Africa. Similarly, we may not be able to count on China for any substantial numbers of manpower. Nevertheless, there are very large untapped resources of manpower in the parts of the world which are friendly to us. We commonly assume that when a country is communized, its manpower resources are immediately and fully available to the Soviet Union. We have no comparable basis for counting such resources on our side. In some cases we are now hampered by views of our allies which can not be ignored; in other cases, we are not.
In considering the use of military manpower, we are faced with many questions such as:
- 1.
- The use of Allied troops;
- 2.
- The stimulation of effective build-up of armies in friendly countries;
- 3.
- The admission of volunteers to our armed forces;
- 4.
- The training of foreign units (possibly along the lines of the Philippine Scouts) for use with our troops;
- 5.
- The possible development of a foreign legion under American leadership.
It may well be that our manpower requirements will be such that we will be forced to resort to all possible devices to increase the pool of available manpower. Certainly, it would be wise at least to study all such possible devices and to make the best possible plans for their use. Eventually, this would, of course, be a problem for common action with other friendly nations.
The question of collective forces is another which would need to be fully explored I have in mind both the question of the development and use of UN forces under the Uniting for Peace Resolution, in a UN legion or otherwise, and the question of regional forces such as those which might be developed in this Hemisphere. It seems to me that it is just not good enough to say that such and such a people are not good or effective soldiers. It has been pretty clearly demonstrated that almost any person in good health can be trained, equipped, and led to make an effective military contribution.
In an effort to stimulate further thinking on this problem and to elicit other ideas, I suggest that the Senior Staff arrange for a preliminary discussion which I hope would lead to a prompt and full study of the manpower problem; and that this study explore all likely sources of manpower and the best means for developing and utilizing such manpower as is likely to be available. I would hope that this study could be approached, from an entirely objective standpoint, and that the past tendencies to minimize the value of effectiveness of foreign manpower be kept at a minimum.
[Page 423]I hope that we can discuss this question at an early meeting of the Senior Staff.