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411547
3 April 1958
MEMORANDUM FOR THE FILES OF LEWIS L. STRAUSS
Last night I had dinner at the home of General White,
Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Dr. Killian was present
as was Secretary McElroy,
Dr, Killian took me to task for
the Commission's decision in the matter of the high-altitude
tests scheduled in HARDTACK, He said that he understood I
had said that they could not take place at Eniwetok and that
he thought this was a great mistake. Mr. McElroy said the
same, JI explained to them that my position had been mis~
represented; that I had no objection and my colleagues had
no objection to the high-altitude shots at Eniwetok, provided
the tests could be conducted without the risk of blinding
the natives on the nearby atolls, and that unless the
natives could be evacuated or some other satisfactory means
could be found for giving them complete protection,
it was
a violation of the trust since the United States is the
Trustee of the Trust Territory and that, under such circume
stances, we would have to insist on the tests being held
elsewhere, for which purpose I said that Johnson Island was
being surveyed. Dr. Killian took the position that this
was a calculated risk. I said that under no circumstances
could I agree with such a contention,
Today General Loper called me and we rode out to
Germantown together. He also took the same position and
reminded me of the fact that to move the particular shots to
Johnson Island would entail an additional cost of $8 million.
I said that I did not think the additional cost would be
anything like that large, but that the amount was de minimus
compared with the issue involved,
When I reached the Commission office, I called the
Commissioners together and repeated this to them, They said
that they backed my position unanimously. I promised that
I would carry the matter to the President if
could not
convince the Department of Defense and Dr, Killian of the
injustice of their point of view.
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326 U.S. ATOMIC Es.
Lewis L. Strauss
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