Office of the Historian

248. Memorandum From the Department of State Executive Secretary (Read) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)1

Washington, January 26, 1965.

SUBJECT

  • Department of State Representation on the Special Committee on Stockpile Objectives

There has come to my attention a copy of NSAM no. 321, establishing a Special Committee on Stockpile Objectives.2 The interests of the Department of State are very much affected by developments in this [Page 656] field. The fixing of stockpile objectives has implications both for procurement for stockpiling and disposal of surpluses which, in turn, can importantly affect the supply and prices of the strategic commodities involved. Many of these are highly important to economies of friendly, developing countries in sensitive areas of the world. The Department of State has membership in the regular interagency committees which deal with these matters. Although the Department is not an addressee on NSAM no. 321, I will greatly appreciate it if arrangements can be made to include the Department of State in the membership of the important, new committee which is being established in this field.3

J.W. Davis 4
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, National Security Action Memoranda, NSAM 321, Review of Strategic Stockpile Objectives, Box 6. Confidential.↩
  2. Document 246.2↩
  3. In a January 27 memorandum to Read, Buddy requested that the Department of State designate a representative to the Special Committee on Stockpile Objectives. (Department of State, S/PC Files: Lot 70 D 199, National Security Action Memoranda (NSAM)) On February 13, Read replied in a memorandum to Buddy that Assistant Secretary of State G. Griffith Johnson would represent the Department. (Johnson Library, National Security File, National Security Action Memoranda, NSAM 321, Review)↩
  4. Davis signed for Read above Read’s typed signature.↩