As for the Plowshare Budget, ''The Bureau of the Budget has recommended
a reduction of 7.5 million dollars in the Plowshare Program.
The
Commission would be able to accept a 6.5 million reduction on the
assumption that this amount would be restored if approval were given
for resumption of nuclear tests.
However, | million dollars of reduction
should be restored to permit AEC to proceed with necessary high explosive
experiments.
Mr. McCone remarked it was politically unfeasible to
expend large funds on Plowshare when negotiations were continuing
in Geneva.
Starbird said if the BOB reductions were sustained the
Ditchdigger and Chariot projects would be eliminated from the U.S.
test program.''
Following further detailed discussion of the impact on
continuing Chariot and Starbird's request for at least an additional
.5
million dollars to continue ecological studies, the Chairman recommended
in appea! to the BOB for the additional 1/2 million.
Meeting #1681, 19 December 1960:
On the subject of a position on nuclear testing, ''The Chairman said the
Commission had received a Presidential request to join with the Departments
of State and Defense in preparing a coordinated position paper on the
subject of nuclear testing.''
Also, in the discussions in the next
Commission meeting on the subject of the annual report to Congress for
1960,
it was ''reported that the Chairman had reviewed the body of the
report and was particularly pleased with the section dealing with the
Geneva negotiations on nuclear test cessation, ''