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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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