214. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for Science and Technology (Wiesner) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)0
In view of the present discussions with the British, it appears appropriate to put down what I know of the conversations that have taken place between U.S. and U.K. experts since the new technical information became available.
The British first became aware of the new technical information when they came here for the Four Power Disarmament Meetings early in July.1 At that time the Disarmament Agency showed them a draft comprehensive test-ban treaty depending upon national stations for seismic detection.2 During the course of these talks, they were also made aware of the new seismic data. I was not involved in any of these meetings, and so have no first-hand knowledge of the extent of the conversations.
Our new technical data and British seismic research were the subject of a day-long meeting in London as part of more general technical discussions involving people from the Defense Department, ACDA, and my office.3 The attached memorandum was prepared by the British to provide a record of their understanding of the technical discussions.4 It is an accurate representation of the discussions. I did not join in the memorandum because we had agreed that the meetings were to be informal exchanges of technical information.
In a conversation with Lord Home, I went out of my way to avoid any statement regarding what the U.S. position would ultimately be, on the grounds that it was still being discussed at home.
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Kaysen Series, Disarmament, Nuclear Testing, Vol. II, 7/62-2/63. Secret.↩
- See Document 193. ↩
- See footnote 2, Document 193.↩
- See footnote 3, Document 193.↩
- Not attached and not found.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩