FEDERAL CIVIL DEFENSE sonIMIS RATIO
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR
| Fabrdare p10; F955
Chairman
Atomic Energy Commission
washington
25,
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Dear Admiral Strauss:
aq
Valder Dv
The recent decision not to reTtease your s
av this time leaves State and locai Civil Defensa
any planning base for protective measures.
Many
appeared in the press, purporting to give the dai
seriously affected areas, but ranging from obse
miles radiation was not fatal to the Japanese fis
predictions of death and uninhabitable areas man
miles from the detonation of a thermonuclear wea
increasingly difficult to justify our fatlure to
and local Civil Defense planners official data wh
give the order of magnitude of the fallout effect
There is one point of some importance whic
attention in this connection,
Under the Federal
of 1950, the primary responsibility for civil def
the States and their political subdivisions.
The
program, unlike our military defense program, mus
the willingness of State Governors, legislatures,
legislative bodies to support it.
If we in the F
are to provide effective leadership, we must pres
facts to the leaders in the States and cities; we
their support.
|
ee
fee
Honcrable Lewis L. Strauss
|,
326 U.S. ATOMIGENERGY
Cc
COMMISSTDN
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tement on fallout
officials lacking
tories have
nSions of the
tions that at 80
ermen, to dire
hundreds of
m.
I find it
urnish to State
ch will at least
deserves
ivil Defense Act
nse rests with
civil defense
be built upon
Mayors and local
deral Government
nt convincing
cannot compel
While I appreciate the delicacy involved i
the international
situation, and have no desire to argue the point, I feel that it
may be possible to find a vehicle for the release of essential data
without the dramatic impact that it was feared yo r statement mignt
have had around the world.
There is attached a copy of the FCDA Advis ry Bulletin which
was prepared to be released, with the concurrence of the AEC, at the
time your statement was released.
Your people ar already familiar
with this and have concurred in its contents.
I
writing now to
ask officially that the classification be removed
rom any data
therein now considered RESTRICTED, in order that i may be circulated
to State and local Civil Defense officials.
If the Commission agrees to such declassif
statement Would be distributed, without any accom
release, in the normal manner.
I appreciate that
such a bulletin will probably be released to the
1t would not attract nearly the concentrated atte
be accorded a national release. Furthermore, aga
CONFIRMED To ag «
BYRAUITHOR:
UNCLASSIFIED
TY OF DOELAC
WE
OE ARCHIVES
-~2,
ation, the
nying press
he contents of
ess locally, but
ion that would
st the dangers
.
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