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DECLASSIFIED E.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) 2a- BYNLTTH NARS Date 27073 9. Will this cause any change in the domestic atomic energy program? Although we shell naturally have to reexamine the domestic program in the light of this develop- ment, 1t i.s not probable that there will have to be any material modification of it. 10. What is the state of our defense against atomic attack? Within the limitations impos ed by the budget, priorities have been established for all our military tasks in case we are involved in war. The defense of the United States is our primary basic undertaking and progress is being made in meeting our defense requirements as established by the Department of Defense. Concomitant with this tasks of course, is the offensive task of retaliation. It would not be compatible with our national security interests to give further information on this matter. 11. Does this increase the danger of war? The danger of war does not spring from the policies of the United States and the other democracies. The United States will continue to make every effort to avoid war by observing faithfully the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations both in letter and in spirit. Everone knows that the preparation for aggressive war is impossible in a democracy and even more so in a coalition of democracies. If there is danger of TAUMAN war, it stems from the attitudes and policies of others. We have no means of knowing what is in the minds of the men who the STRATIONAL SERVICE AND control the (overnment of the Soviet Union. We should remember that the mere fact that a country might have the ability to make a bomb would not in itself be an assurance GOVER to that country of overcall military superiority. The belief of this Government is that war is not inevitable;and our policies continue to be directed to its avoidance. 12. In what way has this development been taken into account in our basic policy? As stated in the President's announce= ment, we have always known that efforts vould be made to develop this weapon, and it has been no secret that such efforts were in progress in the Soviet Union. It has been for this reason, among others, that we have laid such great emphasis on the necessity for a firm and durable system of peaceful relationships between the nations of the world and that we have made such effort and such sacrifices to this end. We have consistently refrained from basing our oum policies on a monopoly of the weapon and have endeavored to frame them throughout with a view to their validity in a period RISTRICTED

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    "ocrText": "DECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D)\n2a-\nBYNLTTH NARS Date 27073\n9. Will this cause any change in the domestic atomic\nenergy program? Although we shell naturally have to\nreexamine the domestic program in the light of this develop-\nment, 1t i.s not probable that there will have to be any\nmaterial modification of it.\n10. What is the state of our defense against atomic attack?\nWithin the limitations impos ed by the budget, priorities\nhave been established for all our military tasks in case we\nare involved in war. The defense of the United States is our\nprimary basic undertaking and progress is being made in\nmeeting our defense requirements as established by the\nDepartment of Defense. Concomitant with this tasks of\ncourse, is the offensive task of retaliation. It would not\nbe compatible with our national security interests to give\nfurther information on this matter.\n11. Does this increase the danger of war? The danger of war\ndoes not spring from the policies of the United States and\nthe other democracies. The United States will continue to\nmake every effort to avoid war by observing faithfully the\nprovisions of the Charter of the United Nations both in\nletter and in spirit. Everone knows that the preparation\nfor aggressive war is impossible in a democracy and even more\nso in a coalition of democracies. If there is danger of\nTAUMAN\nwar, it stems from the attitudes and policies of others. We\nhave no means of knowing what is in the minds of the men who\nthe\nSTRATIONAL SERVICE AND\ncontrol the (overnment of the Soviet Union. We should\nremember that the mere fact that a country might have the\nability to make a bomb would not in itself be an assurance\nGOVER\nto that country of overcall military superiority. The belief\nof this Government is that war is not inevitable;and our\npolicies continue to be directed to its avoidance.\n12. In what way has this development been taken into account\nin our basic policy? As stated in the President's announce=\nment, we have always known that efforts vould be made to\ndevelop this weapon, and it has been no secret that such\nefforts were in progress in the Soviet Union. It has been\nfor this reason, among others, that we have laid such great\nemphasis on the necessity for a firm and durable system of\npeaceful relationships between the nations of the world and\nthat we have made such effort and such sacrifices to this\nend. We have consistently refrained from basing our oum\npolicies on a monopoly of the weapon and have endeavored to\nframe them throughout with a view to their validity in a\nperiod\nRISTRICTED"
}