Telegram from Secretary of State Dean Acheson

FORM D6-322 7-1-46 OUTGOING TELEGRAM 32 INDICATE Collect Department of State Charge Department 5 P.M. Charge To PLAIN CONTROL CLASSIFICATION #208 9922 TO ALL AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC OFFICERS FOR ACTION NOV OR D 3.0 SE 1950 EXCEPT FOLLOWING WHO SHOULD RECEIVE FOR INFO /RR Amembassy MOSCOW Amlegation BUCHAREST Amembassy PRAHA Amlegation BUDAPEST Amembassy WARSAW Amlegation HELSINKI Amembassy BELGRADE You are requested in your discretion to hand promptly to the govt to which you are accredited the following verbatim test of a release made today from the White House: "The President wants to make it certain that there is no XR 5611 misinterpretation of his answers to questions at his press 700 conference today about the use of the atom bomb. Naturally, there has been consideration of this subject since the outbreak of the hostilities in Korea, just as there is consideration of the use of all military weapons whenever our forces are in combat. "Consideration of the use of any weapon is always implicit in the very possession of that weapon. "However, it should be emphasized, that, by law, only the President can authorize the use of the atom bomb, and no such authorization has been given. If and when such authorization should be given, the military commander in the field would have DISTRIBUTION DESIRED (OFFICES ONLY) charge of the tactical delivery of the weapon. DC/R Anal Rev PLAIN CLASSIFICATION Cat Corrections made on this original MUST be made on all copies before delivery to Telegraph Branch. 32