224. Editorial Note
On August 27, 1962, President Kennedy and British Prime Minister Macmillan issued a joint statement indicating that they had instructed their representatives in Geneva to submit to the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee “a draft treaty containing proposals for an end to all nuclear testing in all environments as well as an alternative draft treaty providing for an end to nuclear testing in the atmosphere, underwater, and in outer space.” The two leaders expressed a “strong preference” for prompt action on the comprehensive treaty but indicated that they were also prepared to conclude a more limited atmospheric, underwater, and outer space agreement. The latter “would result in a definite downward turn in the arms race,” “would make it easier to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to countries not now possessing them,” “would free mankind from the dangers and fear of radioactive fallout,” and “might be a first step toward an agreement banning testing in all environments.” For text of this statement, see Documents on Disarmament, 1962, volume II, pages 791-792.
[Page 561]For texts of the draft treaty banning nuclear weapons tests in all environments (ENDC/58) and of the draft treaty banning these tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater (ENDC/59), as submitted to the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee on August 27, see ibid., pages 792-804 and 804-807. Extensive documentation on the development of these draft treaties in the U.S. Government as well as coordination with the United Kingdom is in Department of State, Central Files 396.12-GE, 600.0012, and 700.5611. An August 14 draft of the comprehensive treaty and an August 17 draft of the atmospheric, outer space, and underwater treaty are in the Washington National Records Center, RG 383, ACDA/D Files: FRC 77 A 23, Eighteen-Nation Committee. See also Foster’s memorandum to Bundy, Document 223.