June 5, 1950
MEMORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION
Participants: Secretary of Defense Johnson Mr. Acheson
Secretary Johnson telephoned the Secretary this morning to ask if Secretary Acheson had any suggestions about this morning \(Secretary Johnson is appearing this morning before the Joint Session of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees\). Secretary Acheson said that he had a very easy time-the Committee seems relaxed.
Secretary Johnson said that Russell made some sort of statement Saturday night on the radio talking about our surrender of sovereignty by having agreed to having American troops serve under a foreign commander. Mr. Johnson said that Pearson said Secretary Acheson had turned down Eisenhower as a foreign commander. Secretary Johnson said he was going to say that we are surrendering no sovereignty. In the build-up of things you have a division of over-all strategy. No need now to discuss over-all strategy generally. All this is food for Moscow. The peace of the world depends on the sufficiency of the American forces. Anything we have to do to aid them over there, will not be allowed to throw the balance out. Secretary Acheson agreed.
Secretary Johnson said that he understood that Mr. Acheson had said that he believed defense cost would be increased. Secretary Johnson said that the National Military Establishment did not think so. Mr. Acheson said that, in reply to a question, he had said that if he had to guess whether the cost would be increased, he thought, as nearly as he could tell, that it would be. Mr. Johnson said that he would handle questions on this rather gingerly and would also mention the fact that balanced collective forces would save certain administrative cost and that he doubted that the over- all US defense budget would be increased. Secretary Johnson said that he would try to get out of saying very much and, if they gave him a chance, he would go to bat for the grand job that Secretary Acheson did over there.
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