Letter from David Lilienthal to Secretary of War Robert Patterson, with Attachments

SECRET DECLASSIFIED E.O: 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) A E.G.LTR. 12.7.72 BY NLI NAÁS Date 1-15-13 December 27, 1946 Honorable Robert P. Patterson Secretary of War Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. Secretary: I an enclosing a draft of Executive Order to cover the transfer to the Commission, by direction of the President, of interests owned by the United States or any Oovernment ageney in the property defined in Section 9 (a) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. Plans for the tranafer have received mach consideration by the Commission during recent weeks and have been discuased extensively with General Groves and Colonel Nichols of the Manhattan Engineer District and with the Military Liaison Committee. The Commission has considered certain questions raised by the Manhattan Engineer District and the Military Linison Committes on this matter which it understands relate to the following: Sandia Base, Albuquerque, Slew Nexico; facilities at various naval and military ordnance works, such as Morgantown Ordnanee Works, Wabash River Ordnance Works, Alabame Ordnance Works, Inyokern Naval Proving Ground; storage bases; the NEPA project and similar research and development contracts; the Raw Materials Section, Washington, D. C.; the Foreign Intelligence Section; and fissionable catorials and weapors. As to the foregoing mattere the Commission takes the view that the Executive Order will have the following effect: 1. Sandia Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Paragraph 1 (a) and (b) of the Order will transfer to the Commission, as required by the Act, all interests in the property described in Section 9 (a) (1) ard (2) of the Act. General Groves and Colonel Nichols have advined the Com- mission that the Sandia Base is essentially a military installation used to perform a military function. Accordingly, the Commission will agree to except from the transfer, pursuent to paragraph 2 of the Order, the control of the Base, the physical properties that constitute the Base, and the civilian and military personnel employed there in military operations. However, the Commission understands that there also are situated within the Base other itens of property covered by paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Order, such as weapons and treapon parts required by the Act to be transferred to the Commission. As to those items, the Com-