Evening star., 1961-08-09
Unity Of State,
Penfagon Seen
On Security
~ the Associated Press

~ the Associated Press
A key member of the Ken
nedy administration says there
Is growing cooperation be-
tween the State and Defense
Departments in national se-
curity planning but there still
is "a long way to CO."
Budget Director David e.
Bell gave that appraisal in
testimony made public yester-
day. He appeared a week 20
at a closed session of the SEN
ate Subcommittee on National
Policy Machinery.
The group is studying Gov
ernment organization to make
sure. in the words of Chairman
Jackson, Democrat of WASH
tngton, that it is the best possi-
bic to meet the dangerous
challenge of world commu-
nism.".
Mr.. Bell said President Ken
nedy has gradually been evolv-
ing policies to make the work
Of the National Security Coun-
ell more effective in the fields
of defense and diplomacy.
Responsibility Given
The most impressive change,
Mr.. Bell said, is assigning in
dividual responsibility to key
officials to develop background
discussion papers on every
pending problem for considera-
ton of the Security Council.
Mr.. Bell said that while costs
are always considered, "I don't
want to give the impression
that cost considerations settle
issues by themselves"
THE President and those
who work with him." Mr.. Bell
said, ARE very impatient If a
paper comes up with the pros
and cons neatly labeled but
with no recommendations,
nothing to chew on"
A second development, Mr..
Bell said, has been an en-
couraging buildup Of "a kind
of intellectual interchange
among departments, with the
White House and with the
Executive Office staffs, which
makes for understanding. quick
communications, assurance
that all sides Of an issue are
looked at, and so on"
Ties are Closer
Senator Jackson wanted to
know If the relationship be-
tween the State and Defense
Departments was growingI
closer in dealing with security
problems.
Yes sir" Mr.. Bell replied.
There is q long way to go on
that, but both Mr.. McNamara
Secretary Of Defense), and
Mr.. Rusk Secretary of State)
are keen on improving it, so
are deputy Secretary Of De-
iense), Gilpatric and CUnder-
secretary of State) Bowles."
MIR. Mcnamara told the sub
committee Monday that under
a new program the Defense and
State Departments have inter-
changed working officers to
improve interdepartmental CO.
operation. Mr.. Mcnamara also
said he and Mr.. RuSk are
working to achieve the closest
coordination "at all levels of
OCCASIONAL authority and staff
action"
Policy Role Restored
Mr.. Bell said that under Mr..
Kennedy the State Department
has been restored to the prime
decision making role in foreign
affairs that it has not had
for years"
"It requires reforms to be
undertaken in internal man.
agement, personnel stating,
and so on, which the (State)
Department is in the process
of making" Mr.. Bell said.
There Is a problem that is
far from solved in this respect,
and that is how to enable the
Secretary of State to carry out
this role in view Of the enor-
nous burden on him for
negotiations.
. LAS long as Foreign Secre-
taries in other countries regard
it as demeaning If they have
to deal with anybody but the
Secretary of State this really,
taken literally, would present
a situation that no man could
handle.
obviously. he handles it,
any Secretary handles it, only
by skimping on something. You
would hope, and ! would agree.
that he would handle it by
skimping on the negotiating
and by placing heavy emphasis
on the policy-making, which
is very difficult to do"