Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, The Far East, Volume VIII

894.646/12–946

Appendix “B” of SWNCC 52/23 as Approved December 6⁵³

December 6, 1946

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1. a. Fundamental scientific research in the field of atomic energy of a wholly or primarily military nature shall be prohibited.

b. Fundamental scientific research in the field of atomic energy which is not of a wholly or primarily military nature shall be prohibited only insofar as it requires for its conduct installations which, on account of their size or their special or peculiar construction, would be valuable for any applied scientific research of a wholly or primarily military nature.

c. Fundamental scientific research means research of an exploratory character in any field directed towards the discovery of new knowledge, theories, principles of laws of nature, or of new compounds or materials.

2. All research or development in Japan which has for its purpose the production of fissionable atomic species except their production in minute quantities for use in fundamental scientific research and academic instruction only consistent with paragraph 1 above, should be prohibited.

3. All research or development in Japan which has for its purpose the separation or concentration of fissionable species of atomic isotopes from the naturally occuring isotope mixture of a chemical element should be prohibited except when such isotope separation is in minute quantities to be used for fundamental research purposes only and consistent with paragraph 1 above.

4. All development, or construction in Japan which has for its purposes the utilization of atomic nuclear energy for weapons of war or the operation of war industries, or the operation of power producing installations which might easily be converted to warlike purposes, should be prohibited.

5. The mining, processing and refining of radioactive materials in Japan for authorized uses should be permitted only in instances specifically approved by SCAP and should be under such surveillance as necessary to prevent stockpiling of such materials for war purposes.⁵⁴

53. Copy transmitted to the Department in covering letter, SWN–4953, December 9, by the State–War–Navy Coordinating Committee.
54. On December 11, General Hilldring requested General McCoy to present Appendix “B” to the Far Eastern Commission as a basis for discussion in reaching an agreement in the Commission on a policy for control of fundamental scientific research and academic instruction in Japan in the field of nuclear physics (894.646/12–946).