45. Editorial Note
In late August 1964 Secretary Rusk directed the establishment of a new committee, within the framework of the Committee of Principals, to consider further steps that might be taken to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. He specified that Llewellyn Thompson would chair the new committee, which would be composed of the Deputies of the Committee of Principals, plus the Assistant Secretaries of State for European Affairs and Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, and the Chairman [Page 111] of the Policy Planning Council. In a memorandum to the Committee of Principals, August 24, Foster explained the terms of reference of this committee:
“The task of the Committee is to develop, on a priority basis, specific recommendations for further action that should be taken by the U.S. to prevent the further proliferation of national nuclear weapons capabilities. These recommendations should be developed in the light of the possible early detonation of a nuclear device by the Chinese Communists. Thus, particular attention should be given to the course of action the U.S. should take with respect to India. At the same time, however, consideration should be given to further actions which might be taken, either bilaterally or on a multilateral basis, with respect to the dangers posed by other potential capabilities of Israel, Sweden, Japan, and possibly the Union of South Africa. In developing recommendations consideration should include the way in which the U.S. could meet, either bilaterally or multilaterally, legitimate security concerns which may be a principal incentive to acquisition of nuclear capability.” (Department of State, S/S-RD Files: Lot 68 D 452, Committee of Principals, August-December 1964)
This Committee on Nuclear Weapons Capabilities, as it was soon called, held its first meeting on August 28. Twenty-three officials, representing the Department of State, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, White House, Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Atomic Energy Commission, Central Intelligence Agency, and U.S. Information Agency, attended this meeting. (Ibid.)
Altogether, this interagency group held nine meetings from August 28, 1964-February 4, 1965. Discussions focused on general approaches to the problem of inhibiting prohibition, the spread of nuclear and related technology and the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency, possible substantive initiatives on nonproliferation at the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee and the U.N. General Assembly, the problem of India, and draft treaty and declaration language. For the minutes of the fourth meeting on safeguards, September 25, see Document 48.
Following the creation of the Gilpatric committee on Nuclear Proliferation in November (see Document 51), the Committee on Nuclear Weapons Capabilities met less frequently but prepared papers for the Gilpatric Committee.
Memoranda, minutes of the nine meetings, and other working papers of the Committee on Nuclear Weapons Capabilities are in Department of State, S/S-RD Files: Lot 68 D 452, Committee of Principals, August-December 1964, and ibid., S/S-NSC Files: Lot 70 D 265, Committee on Nuclear Weapons.