Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Southeast Asia, Volume XXII

422. Memorandum of Discussson at the 313th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, February 21, 1957¹

Washington, February 21, 1957

[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and items 1–4.]

5. U.S. Policy Toward the Philippines (NSC 5413/1; Progress Report, dated January 16, 1957, by the Operations Coordinating Board on NSC 5413/1²)

Mr. Cutler gave a shortened brief of the contents of the reference Progress Report. When he had concluded, Secretary Dulles referred to the sections of the report dealing with the difficulties the United States was encountering in negotiating out the problem of U.S. bases in the Philippines. Secretary Dulles thought that it might well be that President Magsaysay would not be able to achieve a solution of the problem of bases until after his reelection.

The President observed that the older he grew, the more he wished the United States could get out of all its bases everywhere in the world except in countries like England.

Secretary Dulles reminded the Council of the current survey of the entire U.S. base situation and base policy being conducted by Mr. Frank Nash.³ At this point, Governor Stassen suggested that if we were to leave some of our bases it might be possible to use this course of action to strike a bargain with the Soviets involving some withdrawal of Soviet forces from advance bases.

Secretary Robertson pointed out that in the negotiations which had been conducted by Mr. Bendetsen with the Filipinos, the U.S. team had been obliged to tip its hand on the size of the total package. Then the problem got complicated by the issue of jurisdiction. He wondered, therefore, whether we should hold up on firing our remaining good ammunition until we got a final decision from President Magsaysay. Secretary Dulles suggested that he would be inclined to move slowly and cautiously.

The National Security Council:

Noted and discussed the reference Progress Report on the subject by the Operations Coordinating Board.

S. Everett Gleason

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason on February 22.
2. NSC 5413/1 is printed in Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. XII, Part 2, p. 590. The Progress Report is not printed, but see Document 429. (Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 62 D 1, NSC 5413 Series)
3. In November 1956, President Eisenhower appointed Frank C. Nash, formerly Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, to carry out a study of and make recommendations with respect to the system of overseas military bases and operating facilities of the United States. Acting Secretary of State Herbert Hoover, Jr., explained this to Horace Smith in a letter dated November 21 and instructed Smith to prepare a report on the U.S. base system in the Philippines. (Ibid., Central Files, 711.56396/11–2156)