Office of the Historian

162. Memorandum of Conversation Between President Eisenhower and Secretary of State Dulles0

Ottawa, July 10, 1958.

The Secretary and the President discussed the growing pressure from the point of view of foreign relations, on the United States Government to make some move toward cessation of nuclear testing. The President said that he was disposed to tell the Atomic Energy Commission that, in view of the probability that we shall have to take a political decision soon, they should tack on to their present Hardtack Series any additional tests that they and Defense really consider are needed.

  1. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted by Joseph N. Greene, Jr., Dulles’ Special Assistant. The meeting was held in the Embassy Residence. Eisenhower and Dulles visited Ottawa July 8–11 for discussions with Canadian leaders. Eisenhower and Prime Minister Diefenbaker discussed disarmament and proposals for safeguards against surprise attack on July 9. (Memorandum of conversation by Merchant, July 9; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Series, Canada) For text of the joint statement issued on July 9, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1958, pp. 469–470.↩