1958

Authors William J Lederer and Eugene Burdick wrote “The ugly American” a novel about US policy in se Asia. Later a Marlon Brando movie, made up country of Sarkham which was South Vietnam and Thailand rolled into one. DATES

America's economy - growth sank to half that of Europe and Russia.

Unemployment at 4,000,000

Civil rights and medical care measure petered out due to lack of White House support.

John Rooney chairman – was involved with organised crime.

Hoover’s annual appearance before the Appropriations Committee – he gave his view of the world – what? – and Hoover’s ‘hogwash’ statistics.

From 1958 – 1965 Hoover collected dirt systematically pp198 199, summers

Fear of Hoover – p.193 summers – a group of senior US senators held special meeting to discuss what to do if Hoover suddenly died – they would rush in and demand to see Hoover’s secret dossiers. Hoover’s secret dossiers. Hoover always denied their existence. Hoover had been developing files on each incoming congressman. Summers p.194

Guatemala – a conservative was elected in early 1958.

Eisenhower changed his mind regarding a nuclear test ban. Dates?

The trade balance with the US had shifted in Europe’s favour.

SR-17 Blackbird – USA’s new secret spyplane developed in late 1950s. – later used over Vietnam in 1970s. Reached 2,500 mph – nearly impossible to shoot down flying at 85,000 feet. Special fuel JP7. NYC to London in 110 minutes with one refuel. Secret throughout late 50s and early 60s.

Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” released in January, go to number one on the R&B chart and 8 in pop chart. In the studio in January to record Johnny B Goode, released in March, got to no. 2 in R&B and 8 in pop.

January 31st US launched its first orbiting satellite – the Vanguard.

Maybe it was rapid change in arms and technology that led to mass hysteria over UFO sightings. Whatever the cause, it wasn’t going to go away.

Antonio Villas Boas provided detailed descriptions of ‘alien technology’ 22nd February 1958 FT 181:39, Eris Andy.

Alvin Ailey and a group of young black modern dancers performed for the first time as members of Alvin Ailey and the American Dance Theatre, which featured all-black casts and dance styles that were culturally based and truly American in style, at New York's 92nd Street YM-YWHA in March.

George Wallace: In 1958 , he was defeated by John Patterson in Alabama's Democratic gubernatorial primary election. This was a political crossroads for Wallace. Patterson had run with the support of the Ku Klux Klan, an organization Wallace had spoken against, while Wallace had been endorsed by the NAACP.[1] After the election, aide Seymore Trammell recalled Wallace saying, "Seymore, you know why I lost that governor's race?... I was outniggered by John Patterson. And I'll tell you here and now, I will never be outniggered again."[1][2]

In the wake of his defeat, Wallace adopted a hard-line segregationist style, and used this stand to court the white vote in the next gubernatorial election.

http://www.archives.state.al.us/govs_list/g_wallac.html

A film called “St Louis blues” came out 7th April 1958, Nat King Cole played WC Handy – also featured Pearl Bailey, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Barney Bigard.

Ike’s Travels

Ottowa – informal visit – to address joint session of parliament.

Ch ch ch changes

Averell Harrmina, governor of New York, lost his bid for re-election in 1958, at same time as JFK won re-election to Senate by a huge vote.

James R Killian, president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, appointed Eisenhower’s special assistant for science and technology and to oversee a crash program in missile development. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created in 1958.

Congress passed the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) to promote science and language in schools.

Commission on National Goals called for increased military spending abroad, greater economic growth at home, broader educational opportunities, more government support for both scientific research and the advancement of the arts.

In the late 1950s trade balance with US had shifted in Europe's favour.

The US had gained goodwill from Arabs by opposing UK-French-Israeli operatives against Egypt in the autumn of 1956. By spring 1958, however, this goodwill was gone. Why?

State summit meeting April 1958. ???

27th of April 1958 Nixon went on eight day tour of Latin American nations. Demos greeted him in Lima, Peru and in Caracas 4000 Venezuelans attacked his motorcade. Embarrassing for the administration. Whitehouse blamed commies. Even though they admitted majority of protesters were non-commie. The fear was that because of US support given to brutal dictators, that commie support was growing, particularly in Colombia, Venezuela and Guatemala.

But the US was confusing anti-communisma nd ultra nationalism with pro-communism, especially in Venezuela.

In congress – JFK, Hubert Humphrey, William Fulbright and Wayne Morse opposed increased military assistance to regimes that lacked popular democratic support.

The May 1958 crisis (or Algiers putsch or the coup of 13 May) was a political crisis in France during the turmoil of the Algerian War of Independence (1954-62) which led to the return of Charles de Gaulle to political responsibilities after a ten year absence.

It started as a coup attempt led at Algiers on 13 May 1958, by a coalition of Algiers deputy and reserve airborne officer Pierre Lagaillarde, French Generals Raoul Salan, Edmond Jouhaud, Jean Gracieux, Admiral Auboyneau supported by General Jacques Massu's 10th Airborne Division and Jacques Soustelle's activist allies.

Carried out in the context of the Algerian War (1954-62), the putsch had as aim to prevent the constitution of Pierre Pflimlin's government and to impose a change of policies in favor of the right-wing partisans of French Algeria. The putsch marked the return of Charles de Gaulle to political affairs after a decade of absence; it also set in train the events which would lead to the establishment of the Fifth Republic. Wikipedia

Vietnam

June 1958 - A coordinated command structure is formed by communists in Mekong Delta where 37 armed companies were being organised.

June 1958 Senator Morse sponsored Mutual Security Act passed prohibiting MAP funds in Latin America for international security purposes and james smith’s action “by 1959 the resisitance began to receive some support from the northern half of the country in retaliation against the violence unleashed by the America – organized attack against the population of the southern part.” P.323 Chomsky Reader

NACA, predecessor to NASA was dissolved on 1st October 1958.

Movie: “King Creole” starring Elvis July 2nd 1958

Iraqi Revolution

1958, July 14th

Military rebellion became national revolution, which took US by surprise. The NY Times filled first 10 pages with the story. Six months before the Cuban revolution.

Eisenhower called it “the gravest crisis since the Korean War”. One day later 20,000 US marines landed at Lebanon and 1 day after that, 6,600 GB paratroopers were dropped into Jordan.

“Eisenhower Doctrine” was that the US would intervene directly - go to war – to prevent the spread of revolution in the Middle East.

Rotten regimes in Beirut and Amman were under threat too. Secretary of State John Dulles described as “arch-imperialist”. US plans to invade Iraq, overturn revolution, install new puppet. But revolution was too entrenched, with support from United Arab Republic, china, USSR. USSR mobilised troops in southern Soviet Republics close to Iraq. US had to drop plans.

Iraq went on to nationalise the Iraqi Petroleum Company – complete by 1972. Signed defence treaty with USSR. US supported right wing Kurdish elements. Added Iraq to list of “terrorist states”. US applauded suppression of Iraqi communist party and left-led labour unions by Ba’ath Party government of Saddam Hussein in late 70s.

Cuban Revolution

"In Cuba. Gradually the rebels won over much of the peasantry, attracted recruits, and grew in confidence and strength until, August '58, Castro dispatched columns under Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos to begin a march on the towns. Guevara's successful attack on the strategically important town of Santa Clara in December (?) effectively brought victory to the rebel army. Batista packed his bags and fled on New Year's day."_

The Revolution was complete on 8th January 1959.

Florida Terrorist Training Camp

From the Bush biography:

Laos – election inspired US effort at subversion that led to the Laotian crisis of the early 60s – NC Reader p.266

1960 - Before going along with the plan so eagerly touted by Allen Dulles, Kennedy had established the pre-condition that under no circumstances whatsoever would there be direct intervention by US military forces against Cuba. On the one hand, Dulles had assured Kennedy that the news of the invasion would trigger an insurrection which would sweep Castro and his regime away. On the other hand, Kennedy had to be concerned about provoking a global thermonuclear confrontation with the USSR, in the eventuality that NS Krushchev decided to respond to a US Cuban gambit by, for example, cutting off US access to Berlin.”

Mob Contract to kill Castro

The CIA contracted with the organisation of Mafia boss Meyer Lansky to organise and train assassination squads for use against the Cuba government. Among those employed were John Rosselli Santos Trafficante and Sam Giancana.

VP Richard Nixon was the “White House action man” on cuba. Page 176 Kennedy Conspiracy.

“The Ugly American” – JFK read it and was influenced by it.

Eisenhower established the president’s committee to study the US Military Assistance Programme in November 1958. General William H Draper appointed chairman of the committee – 1st meeting in December. It was intended to defuse congressional criticism. However, events about to happen, in Cuba, overshadowed it.

Iraqi Revolution

1958, July 14th

Military rebellion became national revolution, which took US by surprise. The NY Times filled first 10 pages with the story. Six months before the Cuban revolution.

Eisenhower called it “the gravest crisis since the Korean War”. One day later 20,000 US marines landed at Lebanon and 1 day after that, 6,600 GB paratroopers were dropped into Jordan.

“Eisenhower Doctrine” was that the US would intervene directly - go to war – to prevent the spread of revolution in the Middle East.

The guiding principle was articulated clearly by Carnegie Endowment Middle East specialist Marwan Muasher, formerly a high official of the Jordanian government: "There is nothing wrong, everything is under control." In short, if the dictators support us, what else could matter?

The Muasher doctrine is rational and venerable. To mention just one case that is highly relevant today, in internal discussion in 1958, president Eisenhower expressed concern about "the campaign of hatred" against us in the Arab world, not by governments, but by the people. The National Security Council (NSC) explained that there is a perception in the Arab world that the U.S. supports dictatorships and blocks democracy and development so as to ensure control over the resources of the region. Furthermore, the perception is basically accurate, the NSC concluded, and that is what we should be doing, relying on the Muasher doctrine.

http://mistymountain.info/content/noam-chomsky-world-too-big-fail-contours-global-order

Rotten regimes in Beirut and Amman were under threat too. Secretary of State John Dulles described as “arch-imperialist”. US plans to invade Iraq, overturn revolution, install new puppet. But revolution was too entrenched, with support from United Arab Republic, china, USSR. USSR mobilised troops in southern Soviet Republics close to Iraq. US had to drop plans.

Iraq went on to nationalise the Iraqi Petroleum Company – complete by 1972. Signed defence treaty with USSR. US supported right wing Kurdish elements. Added Iraq to list of “terrorist states”. US applauded suppression of Iraqi communist party and left-led labour unions by Ba’ath Party government of Saddam Hussein in late 70s.

Introducing Saddam Hussein

He’s arrested for killijng his brother in law and spends 6 months in prison.

September 1958 – military defeat of Batista. Che and Camilo Cienfueggos led separate guerrilla columns westward from Sierra Maestra. Batista fled on January 1st 1959.

US having a hard time in Middle East having run out of Arab patience. The US apposed to Nasser’s penetration of Lebanon. Dulles countered “indirect aggression” by the United Arab Republic with landings by US forces in the Lebanon.

Congressional elections of 1958 gave the Dems a large majority - nearly as they had during New Deal era.Nelson Rockefeller entered New York’s race as Republican - wins there.

On October 1, 1958 NACA  was dissolved, and its assets and personnel transferred to the newly created National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

On 21 November 1957, Hugh Dryden, NACA’s director, established the Special Committee on Space Technology. The committee, also called the Stever Committee after its chairman, Guyford Stever was a special steering committee that was formed with the mandate to coordinate various branches of the Federal government, private companies as well as universities within the United States with NACA's objectives and also harness their expertise in order to develop a space program.

NACA's Special Committee  on Space Technology - May 26 1958 meeting. Wernher von Braun, the man who helped develop the robot weapons that brought down the Nazi V-1 flying bombs over London during WWII, was actually serving in the same committee and sitting at the same table as Wernher von Braun who worked on the development of the V-1 and was the head of the team which developed the V-2, the weapon that terrorised London.

On January 14, 1958, Dryden published "A National Research Program for Space Technology,"

On March 5, 1958, James Killian, who chaired the President's Science Advisory Committee, wrote a memorandum to the President Eisenhower. Titled, "Organization for Civil Space Programs," it encouraged the President to sanction the creation of NASA. He wrote that a civil space program should be based on a "strengthened and redesignated" NACA, indicating that NACA was a "going Federal research agency" with 7,500 employees and $300 million worth of facilities, which could expand its research program "with a minimum of delay."

With the creation of NASA, NACA was abolished,

NASA was established on July 29, 1960, by the National Aeronautics and Space Act.[3]

Wikipedia

November 10th 1958 - Lewis L Strauss  replaced Sec of Commerce Weeks;

Kennedys wedding?

SEATO – manila pact or SEA Collective Defense Treaty. 8th September 1954 formal establishment.