Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volumes VII, VIII, IX, Arms Control; National Security Policy; Foreign Economic Policy, Microfiche Supplement

187. Memorandum of Decisions, June 19¹

June 19, 1963

MEMORANDUM OF DECISIONS AT THE MEETING ON TEST PREPARATIONS, ETC., ON JUNE 18, 1963

1. Discussed the President’s wish, expressed to Chairman Seaborg, that he did not want any activities undertaken prior to, or during, the forthcoming talks in Moscow in July, the disclosure of which would prejudice the possible success of those negotiations or adversely affect the posture of the United States. Agreed that the President’s injunction extended to certain other activities in addition to the test preparations and that such activities should also be reviewed.

2. Noted that certain underground events now scheduled to take place before September 1 are of a size and type that would probably draw the attention of and probably cause a reaction by the Soviets.

3. Tentatively agreed that no event with an estimated yield of 50 KT or over should be scheduled prior to September 1. The Atomic Energy Commission will immediately review the impact of this decision on the laboratories and report to the White House what problems this decision would raise.

4. Agreed that the proposed pre-event and post-event PLOWSHARE announcements now pending with the Press Secretary should not be issued. The regular routine short-form announcement will be issued by the AEC following the event.

5. Reviewed the memorandum for Chairman Seaborg, dated June 13, 1963, prepared by the AEC General Manager, on the subject of “Overseas Atmospheric Test Preparations,” and agreed that, by careful management, the scheduled work as set forth in the memorandum can continue with only a small increase in the present low-noise level through July, and that no real problem is anticipated until late August.

6. Agreed that the naval airport improvement program provided an adequate cover story for the improvements at Johnston Island.

7. Agreed that the site preparation for the SCHOONER event could go ahead without causing any difficulty even though the SCHOONER event itself has not been authorized.

8. Noted that the major event tentatively planned to take place in Alaska is under restraint and that this matter is under review in the Department of Defense pending the development of a recommendation for the White House. Meanwhile, appropriate personnel of the AEC, the Interior Department and the Army Corps of Engineers should be notified that no approval exists for this event and there should be no public discussion of or field preparations for this event.

9. Discussed the problem of getting a tentative decision on the 1965 weapons stockpile and agreed that a meeting should be held this week in an effort to reach a procedural solution.

PRESENT:

McGeorge Bundy, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

Carl Kaysen, Deputy Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission

Gen. A.P. Luedecke, General Manager, Atomic Energy Commission

Gerald Johnson, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Atomic Energy)

Spurgeon Keeny, Office of Science and Technology

Charles E. Johnson, National Security Council

1. Decisions made at test preparations meeting, June 18: yield size; Plowshare announcement; overseas atmospheric tests; improvements at Johnson Island; and site preparation for an upcoming nuclear test. Secret. 2 pp. Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Subjects Series, Nuclear Weapons Testing, 1/63–7/63.