#179 - 6
Zxecutive can give to particular nations, and it defines rather
accurately the nations to whom you can give this info rmation.
As far as giving away the bombs, this cannot be done under existing
law.
Now I do believe this, that where we are allied with other nations and
we are trying to arm ourselves in such a way as to make certain of
our defense, we should try to arm them in such methods and ways as
will make that defense more strong and more secure.
I would not ever give any informationeven if the law permitted -- give
away information that was still, in our opinion, withheld from the
Soviets themselves,
But when the Soviets have the information and
know-how to do things, it's pretty hard for me to understand why weett
don't do something with our allies, as long as they themselves stand
with us firmly in defending against the probable aggressive intent of MeSty
communism,
cae
¢,
Charlie Mohr, Time Magazine.
Mr. President, you made clear in
an earlier answer how strongly you felt that SAC was not vulnerable to
being wiped out in an enemy attack. Since this is at the heart of the
current argument, I wonder if you could tell us whether you believe that
we would get strategic warning of any enemy missile attack, or if you
don't believe that, could you give us some of the reasons why you feel
that SAC is not vulnerable, in a period of two or three years, to a very
crippling blow?
THE PReSICENT: Well, if you will take, probably, the things that the
Soviets could probably do three or four years from now, and then we ait
like we are now and do nothing, well that's a different story.
REPRODUCED AT THE DWIGHTD.
EISENHOWER LIBRARY
But I just say this: I don't believe that anyone today can destroy all of
our capabilities for retaliation, and they cannot destroy today enough of
them that we couldn't retaliate very effectively to the point of
destructiveness to them,
‘ Now as we ge ahead, they will go ahead, But I would say that three years
."rom now, if we are working as hard as we do now, we are going to be in
-he same relative position.
(2. Mr. President, Roberts, Washington Post. In view of your answer
> Mrs, Craig's question, and the fact that the nuclear test nepo‘iations
t Geneva seem to be stalled, Mr. President, do you feel that the -nat it's becoming really impossible to stop the spread of nuclear weapons
: