Atomic Energy files, lot 57 D 688, “IAEA—Policy”
Memorandum of a Meeting in the Office of the Secretary of State, Wednesday, August 11, 1954, 3 p.m.1 August 11, 1954, 3 p.m.
Present:
- The Secretary of State, Mr. Dulles
- The Secretary of Defense, Mr. Charles E. Wilson
- The Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Mr. Lewis L. Strauss
- The Director, Central Intelligence Agency, Mr. Allen Dulles
- Mr. James S. Lay
- General Robert Cutler
- Mr. Robert Bowie
- General Herbert B. Loper
- Mr. Roy B. Snapp
- Mr. Gerard C. Smith, S/AE
The meeting was called to consider NSC 5431 dated August 6, 1954.2
Admiral Strauss discussed the background of this matter and pointed out the problems that will be raised in connection with fissionable material produced by any reactors which were constructed abroad.
He urged that arrangements for construction of such reactors provide for US chemical processing of spent fuel elements.
Mr. Wilson said that such a condition would be more realistic if the U.S. leased fissionable material than if the material was sold to foreign nations. Mr. Smith pointed out that conditions which might be agreeable in bilateral arrangements might not be agreeable in multilateral arrangements through an international agency and that the draft legislation had been specifically amended to permit transfer of title to fissionable material to another nation.
There was discussion of the nature of the fissionable material which would be provided for the research reactor program.
The Secretary of State raised the question of what relationship the international agency would have to the United Nations and pointed out that any agency related to the UN in any way would provoke a good deal of criticism from the anti-UN people in this country. The Secretary of State pointed out how far the proposed plan fell short of the President’s proposal of last December 8. Admiral Strauss stated, however, that he thought the proposed plan would be very acceptable to public opinion throughout the Free World.
There was discussion as to when the plan would be announced and it seemed generally agreed that the President would be asked to make the announcement at the ground-breaking ceremonies of the PWR reactor at Shippingport, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Wilson pointed out the need for a US offer to supply modern technology rather than our second or third best designs.
Mr. Bowie raised the point that U.S. initiative now in the reactor field abroad would imply a commitment to continue to supply fissionable material in the future to foreign nations.
General Cutler pointed out that in his judgment the proposed program did not differ so sharply from the President’s December 8 program as to be anticlimactical.
[Page 1482]It was agreed that the blank space on page 4 in paragraph 10 referred to the number 50, and that this quantity of U–235 would be earmarked for a small-scale reactor program if the overall program was approved by the Council and the President.
Nothing was said about the international conference.
There was some discussion as to whether the fissionable material would be given or lent or sold. The discussion was inconclusive on this.
The consensus of the meeting was that the paper would be recommended for approval by the Council and the President.
Mr. Smith pointed out that he had discussed in general terms the proposed program with representatives of the United Kingdom and Canada.
It was agreed that implementation of the proposed program would, in the first instance, be the responsibility of the Working Group which had been set up by the Planning Board to draw up the proposal.3
- Drafted by Smith of S/AE.↩
- NSC 5431 is not printed. (S/S–NSC files, lot 63 D 351, NSC 5431 Series) NSC 5431 as revised and approved was issued as NSC 5431/1, Aug. 13; for text, see p. 1488.↩
- The working group designated to prepare the report, consisting of representatives of State, Defense, AEC (Chairman), and CIA, had been established by the NSC Planning Board on July 7. Announcement of the creation of the group and its terms of reference were contained in a memorandum of July 8 by NSC Executive Secretary Lay to Snapp (AEC), Bowie (State), Bonesteel (Defense), and Amory (CIA). (S/P–NSC files, lot 62 D 1, “Atomic Energy—Cooperation with Other Nations”)↩