map 58 4 CeDOPISECRET ae viedAYtee DOR ay AS y thought that we couldn't do everything, and that we must do that which is determined to be most essential. The Vice President, who presided at the meeting in the President's absence, said it seemed to him that in many of our policy papers of this general type, we seem to express the pious hope of achieving maximum objectives which are beyond our reach. It seemed to him that the real question was to determine how the language suggested by Dr. Killian, if included in the statement, would really affect or change what we do. He thought that all concerned realize the importance of Continental Defense. The real question was whether our Continental Defense policy on air defense against aireraft and missiles should be changed--should we expend more in this area than we presently plan? In response to the Vice President's inquiry, Secretary ‘McElroy expressed thé thought that the inclusion of the language of the "high percentage”"-phrase in paragraph 8. Secretary McElroy indicated that despite this concern, the Defense Department would of course like to achieve the high capability envisaged by the phrase in issue and would strive to that end even if the particu- lar phrase were not included in NSC 5802. The Vice President inquired of Dr. Killian whether, in the opinion of his people, the Defense Department needs to be "revved up" in this area of Continental Defense. He asked whether Dr. Killian thought the President should indicate to the Defense Department that it should place greater emphasis on the aspect of : < + £& rs at at! ao ee oF *. emacs Gap Ay THE: DRLgI, D. Ae me: wn ae 7 oe he sine ™ vt = active air defense covered in paragraph 8. :* + oedime‘ i » a “4! : Dr. Killian expressed the view that this aspect of our Continental Defense program must belooked at in the context of other important military programs. He thought, however, that our present Continental Defense program constitutes more of a psychological than an actual deterrent and, accordingly, in approving a statement of policy on this point, the Council should bear this fact in mind. Dr. Killian continued, however, that he could not strongly advocate diverting funds to the Continental Defense program from other important programs underway. -6- ’ oN ere __. TOP, SECRET t Defense is endeavoring to do in this and related programs, because statements contained in NSC policies are used as the basis of military planning. Should the phrase in issue be included, the military planning in this area would be different than that now envisaged. The Vice President inquired as to whether the Defense Department feared that the inclusion of such language wuld take something from or otherwise divert from other important areas in which the Defense Department is working. To this, Secretary McElroy responded that there may be interference with things the Defense Department may be recommending in the future, and that such things might deserve higher priority than the priority suggested by the inclusion ow , concerning “high percentage" would change what the Department of