White House Statement Following Bipartisan Conference on Foreign Policy, Mutual Security, and National Defense.

THE PRESIDENT met this afternoon with the leaders of both political parties in the Senate and the House of Representatives for a bi-partisan conference on foreign policy, mutual security and national defense.

During the meeting the leaders also received from the Vice President a review of his report to the President on the Hungarian refugee situation.

The President thanked the leaders for the bi-partisan cooperation he had always received from them in the field of foreign affairs.

The Secretary of State then reviewed world developments, particularly during the last six months. He expressed the opinion that the position of International Communism had deteriorated throughout the world and that the United States at the same time had moved into a position of great opportunity for world leadership for peace and stability as well as for world responsibility.

The President and the Secretary of State then discussed in more detail the Middle East situation.

The President asserted that the Middle East was a vitally important area to the entire world. To help that area remain free the President recommended that the Congress join with him in serving notice to the world that the United States would resist any Communist aggression in that area.

Specifically, he requested the leaders: (1) To authorize an enlarged program of economic aid to the nations in that area, by authorizing additional monies for the President's Emergency Fund which would be used for that purpose, and (2) to support a Congressional resolution which would be designed to deter Communist armed aggression in the Middle East area.

A general discussion then followed. It was agreed that the matter should be promptly dealt with on the basis of an early Presidential message to the Congress and hearings by the appropriate Congressional Committees.

The Director of the International Cooperation Administration then reviewed for the leaders the program for the coming year in mutual assistance, including mutual military support and economic and technical assistance for our allies and friends.

The Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff next outlined the 1958 program of the Defense establishment of the United States and the measures which he deemed necessary to protect the nation against attack and to insure peace in the world.

The Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission followed with a review of the United States' participation in the President's Atoms for Peace program through the International Atomic Program of the United Nations.

The Director of the United States Information Agency stressed the importance of the Agency's program to present to the peoples of the world America's position in maintaining peace and working for cooperation with all friendly nations.

The Secretary of Commerce urged Congressional approval for participation by the United States in the Organization for Trade Cooperation (O. T. C.).