Sxhibit 2-b page 4 3. "In the light of the foregoing, no action should be taken at the present time: a, To obtain a decision either to use or not to us atomic weapons in cny possivle future conflict; be To obtain o. decision .s to the time rnd circumsten under which atomic weapons might or might not be employed,” The iationel Security Council, on September 16, adopted the first two conclusions, dowever, the third conclusion was not approved for the reason thet this would improperly xbsolve the Mationsl Security Council of the responsibility of planning for the use of atomic weapons, Consicercstion in the hational Security Council of 2 nationel policy regerding the use of biolozical weapons and « public statement of their potenticlities wos recommended to the Fresident by tae Secretary of Defense on Harch 16, 1948 (copy attached ns Txhibit &>d-1), Although the sugeested action was not initicted in the Vation-l Security Council (pending militcory oveluction of biologicrl wennons), tae Resenrch -né Develonment Board had proviouslr prepared a proposed public stctement of thoir potcntinlitics ond of the defenses agrinst chem, This paper received final clearence by the Joint Chiefs on 10 November 1948 and was forwarded to the Scerctary of Defonse by the Rescarch and Development Board with a strong recommends tion for rcleaso subject to clearsnce with the White House cnd the Sicte Department, The DSonrd felt thet carly issuance of 2. clarifying statment Wns importrnt becsuse of the probeblc widesorcad public discussion snd speculntion which would result from the references to biologiccl warfare in the Sberstndt report , the dcclassification by the Joint Chiefs of cortcin biologiesl werfsre m-torinls, cnd the biological warfare defense training soon to be initinted in the three services, On 6 Jenuary 1949, the Secretary of Defense requested the St:te Department's approval of the proposcd release, md in so doing crow that Deportment's attention to the implication of the lest sentence of the rclense thet the National Wilivery Ustablishment is working toward the offcnsive use of this type of warfere. (Copy of the Sccrotrry's lettor is attached as Ixhibit 2-b-2.) Recently the @ucstion of the character of the information whicn should be released rogording the capabilities of stomic wempons was again raised in connection with an article vritten by acmiral Parsons for 2 January issuc of the Seturdsay Ivening Post, The effect of the article was to dchecmphasize the importence of the atomic bomb from >. military point of view, after consultations betwoon the Write House and the State Depart ment, the President decided on 31 Decembcr 1948 thnt admirnl Parson's article should mot be pubdlishcd,