Office of the Historian

266. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President and the Acting Secretary of State, White House, Washington, July 30, 1957, 4:10 p.m.1

Washington, July 30, 1957, 4:10 p.m.

I took up with the President three matters:

1. The Secretary’s telegram (Dulte 1)2 asking for clarification with regard to the cryptic message which I had sent him on July 26 concerning flexibility with respect to the cessation of nuclear testing.

As a result of this conversation, the President dictated a memorandum which has been incorporated in Tedul 5 to London.3 The [Page 667] original of the President’s memorandum is attached herewith. The corrections were made by the President himself and the last sentence was deleted by him after I had indicated that that sentence would in effect negate the instructions previously sent the Secretary with regard to flexibility in his London conversations.

. . . . . . .

I showed the President Admiral Strauss’ comments on this cable and he approved them and asked that they be forwarded to the Secretary.4 In discussing the matter, however, he commented on the fact that he was somewhat disturbed by the fact that the scientists today in this field seemed to be running the Government rather than acting as servants for the Government.

[Here follows discussion of the third matter on an unrelated subject.]

C.A.H.

[Enclosure]

Draft Message From the Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at London5

Washington, July 30, 1957.

“At conference with the President he agrees generally with the statement quoted below from Admiral Strauss, (quote statement)6

“With respect to the flexibility mentioned in my former message7 the President by no means meant to convey the thought that we should abandon the “inseparability concept” as between testing suspension and “cut-off” of new fissionable material for weapons purposes. [Page 668] He was more concerned that we had publicly fixed ten months as the limitation of a suspension period presumably8 not susceptible in any way to negotiations.9

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, Nuclear Testing. Top Secret. Drafted by Herter.↩
  2. Supra.↩
  3. Tedul 5 to London, July 30, conveyed the message regarding “flexibility” in the attached enclosure. (Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/7–3057)↩
  4. Strauss’ comments to Dulles were transmitted in Tedul 6 to London, July 30. (Department of State, Central Files, 741.5611/7–3057)↩
  5. Top Secret.↩
  6. Included in the subenclosure, not printed.↩
  7. A handwritten note on the margin of the source text reads: “Herter Memorandum for the Secretary of July 26.”↩
  8. The words “suspension” and “presumably” have been handwritten on the source text.↩
  9. The above two sentences were transmitted in Tedul 5 to London, July 30, (Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/7–3057) An additional sentence deleted from the source text reads: “Our fundamental concepts as now understood will continue to guide our general conduct in negotiations unless and until some revision has been approved by all interested agencies of government.”↩