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TOP SECRET
TERMS OF REFERENCE
The following report is submitted in response to the
President's directive of Jenuary 31 which reads:
"That the President direct the Secretary of
State and the Secretary of Defense to undertake
e reexamination of our objectives in peece and war
and of the effect of these objectives on our
strategic plans, in the light of the probable
fission bomb capability and possible thermonuclear
bomb capebility of the Soviet Union. "
The document which recommended that such a directive
be issued reads in part:
"It must be considered whether a decision
to proceed with a program directed toverd
determining feasibility prejudges the more
fundamental decisions (=) as to whether, in the
event that 5 test of B therronuclear weapon
proves successful, such wergons should be stock-
piled, or (b) if stockpiled, the conditions under
which they might be used in wer. If a test of a
thermonuclear veapon proves successful, the
pressures to produce and stockpile such meapons
to be held for the same purposes for which
fission bombs ere then being held will be greatly
Increased. The question of use policy can be
edecuately assessed only as e part of e general
reexemination of this country's strategic plans
and its objectives in peace and war. Such rew
examination would need to consider national
policy not only with respect to possible
therronuclear weepons, but also with respect
to fission ree conswwiewed in the light of the
probable fission bomb capability and the possible
therronuclear bomb capability of the Soviet Union.
The moral, psychological, and politicel questions
involved in this problem would need to be taken
into account and be given due weight. The outcome
of this reexemination would have e crucial bear-
ing on the further question as to whether there
should be E revision in the neture of the egree
ments, ircluding the international control of
etomic energy, which we have been seeking to
reach with the U.S.S.R.
more
FOP SECRET
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"ocrText": "TOP SECRET\nTERMS OF REFERENCE\nThe following report is submitted in response to the\nPresident's directive of Jenuary 31 which reads:\n\"That the President direct the Secretary of\nState and the Secretary of Defense to undertake\ne reexamination of our objectives in peece and war\nand of the effect of these objectives on our\nstrategic plans, in the light of the probable\nfission bomb capability and possible thermonuclear\nbomb capebility of the Soviet Union. \"\nThe document which recommended that such a directive\nbe issued reads in part:\n\"It must be considered whether a decision\nto proceed with a program directed toverd\ndetermining feasibility prejudges the more\nfundamental decisions (=) as to whether, in the\nevent that 5 test of B therronuclear weapon\nproves successful, such wergons should be stock-\npiled, or (b) if stockpiled, the conditions under\nwhich they might be used in wer. If a test of a\nthermonuclear veapon proves successful, the\npressures to produce and stockpile such meapons\nto be held for the same purposes for which\nfission bombs ere then being held will be greatly\nIncreased. The question of use policy can be\nedecuately assessed only as e part of e general\nreexemination of this country's strategic plans\nand its objectives in peace and war. Such rew\nexamination would need to consider national\npolicy not only with respect to possible\ntherronuclear weepons, but also with respect\nto fission ree conswwiewed in the light of the\nprobable fission bomb capability and the possible\ntherronuclear bomb capability of the Soviet Union.\nThe moral, psychological, and politicel questions\ninvolved in this problem would need to be taken\ninto account and be given due weight. The outcome\nof this reexemination would have e crucial bear-\ning on the further question as to whether there\nshould be E revision in the neture of the egree\nments, ircluding the international control of\netomic energy, which we have been seeking to\nreach with the U.S.S.R.\nmore\nFOP SECRET"
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