167. Editorial Note

On August 12, 1958, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, Secretary Dulles and President Eisenhower discussed nuclear testing. According to the memorandum of conversation by Dulles, the discussion went as follows:

“I said that another matter that was urgent was the reaching of a policy decision on nuclear testing. It seemed likely that there would be an agreement at Geneva and that coupled with the United Nations Commission Report made it urgent that we arrive at a new policy. I said that State was working actively with Defense and AEC on this subject and that I thought some split would develop which the President would have to resolve. The President said he was thinking in terms of a total suspension except of underground tests. I said I thought that the Defense Department would not like this because in a confined area some characteristics of the explosion could not be accurately estimated. The President said that he did not think that this should be a reason against limiting the test to underground areas.

“I suggested to General Goodpaster that he try to arrange a restricted meeting of those directly interested as soon as I could be back in Washington. The President said he had already asked Goodpaster to plan for this.” (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President) See the Supplement.

Dulles and Eisenhower were attending the U.N. General Assembly session, which the President addressed on August 13. For text of his address, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1958, pages 606–616.