Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, National Security Policy; Arms Control and Disarmament, Volume III

214. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Herter to President Eisenhower⁰

Washington, April 23, 1959.

SUBJECT

• Voluntary Temporary Moratorium on Underground and High Altitude Tests

On April 11 you directed that the interested agencies give urgent consideration to Prime Minister Macmillan’s proposal that we offer to accompany a controlled agreement for suspension of atmospheric tests with a temporary moratorium on other nuclear weapons tests provided the Soviet Union did likewise.¹

This question has been carefully examined with the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. We have concluded that proposing an extended uncontrolled moratorium on outer space and underground tests, even if the Soviets agree to negotiate a controlled suspension of atmospheric tests, is an undesirable course of action at the present time. Such a proposal would undercut our basic principle of effective control, and would be unlikely to increase Soviet interest in serious negotiations.

Consideration of this question has served to draw attention to the urgent need for decisions, as soon as possible and well in advance of the expiration of the present one year voluntary withholding of nuclear testing, on United States nuclear testing policy in the event negotiations are unsuccessful or reach agreement only on controlled suspension of nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere. We have agreed that studies looking toward such decisions should be initiated promptly and should embrace future requirements for nuclear weapons testing, improvement of methods of detection, fall-out considerations, and factors of cost and practicability involved in testing underground and in outer space. Arrangements for these studies are being worked out by the Department of Defense, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology.

I am enclosing for your information a more detailed paper on this subject.²

Christian A. Herter

0. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series, April 1959. Secret. The source text bears Eisenhower’s initials.

1. At the April 15 meeting of the principals, Farley reported on the British proposal as follows:

   “In Mr. Herter’s absence Mr. Farley explained that during the course of consultations with the U.K. last week regarding the phased approach to a test cessation agreement presented by Amb. Wadsworth in Geneva on Monday, Prime Minister Macmillan had proposed to President Eisenhower that we supplement our proposal for a first step inspected agreement on the cessation of atmospheric tests by offering a unilateral moratorium on testing underground and in outer space for a finite period while further negotiations on extension of the agreement to these areas are in progress. The State Department felt that such a move at this time would not be wise from a negotiating point of view and Mr. Herter had so recommended to the President. The President accepted Mr. Herter’s recommendation but noted agreement with Prime Minister Macmillan that such a course of action might have to be reconsidered at some point. The President had therefore directed that the British proposal receive urgent and objective consideration within the US Government.” (Memorandum of conversation by Morris, April 15; Department of State, Central Files, 700.5611/4–1559) See the Supplement.

2. The enclosure, dated April 17, is attached to an earlier draft of this memorandum, dated April 20. (Eisenhower Library, White House Office Files, Additional Records of the Special Assistant for Science and Technology, Disarmament, Nuclear Policy) Both are in the Supplement.