Office of the Historian

102. Memorandum From the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Smith) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1 2

Washington, May 10, 1969

SUBJECT:

  • Seabed Arms Control

Following our meeting of May 7 on a possible seabed arms control treaty, I have suggested to Mel Laird joint DOD/ACDA base-touching with appropriate congressional people. He will be back at me Monday on this score.

Representatives of ACDA, State, Defense, and JCS have met to consider what provisions should be included in such a treaty, pending formal White House decision. Attached are the cables of instructions and text worked out and cleared by DOD, JCS, the State Department, and the AEC on contingency basis.

The verification provision does not include a right of access and therefore is agreeable to DOD and JCS. Combined with the review provision, I believe the present verification article gives us a better position internationally and with Congress than would a treaty draft containing no provision.

Since the ENDC will recess on May 23, and since we wish to have maximum possible time for NATO consultations, we believe it would be most advisable if we can be authorized to start NAC and congressional consultations early in the week of May 12. Contingent on White House approval, we would therefore like to send out the attached cables on Monday, May 12.

The copies of the cables are being held in S/S and can be sent when and if approval is indicated by you. I will be available Sunday at Easton, Maryland, Area Code 301/TA. 2–3553.

Gerard Smith
  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 197, Agency Files, ACDA, 1/20/69–12/31/69. Confidential. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates that it was received at the White House Situation Room on May 10 at 3:19 p.m. The attachments are not published. In the last paragraph the words “the State Operations Center” are crossed out and “S/S” substituted.↩
  2. Smith informed Kissinger of steps taken toward a possible seabed arms control treaty and asked for authorization to start North Atlantic Council and Congressional consultations.↩