a A& Fe A 5 July memorandum for Chairman Seaborg of the AEC from one of the commissioners Robert E. Wilson is a rather strong statement of this commissioners feelings about test resumption. Among other things he says "to my mind the matter of overriding importance to the nation's safety and the AEC's responsibility is the resumption at the earliest possible moment of underground weapons testing. I am very much concerned about the continued delay in this and I firmly believe that the Soviets are making better use of this critical period than we are." He goes on to state that he doesn't see any reason why the announcement couldn't either call for only the Vela or Plowshare programs at the outset if the President and his advisors think this will make it easier to proceed with the resumption of weapons tests but he feels that Vela and Plowshare and such things are so far less important than weapons testing that he doesn't favor such an announcement or such a beginning to testing but feels that we should start off by at least saying that weapons testing wili be forthcoming. He also opposes any foreign inspection procedures included for any of the programs, including Vela, feeling that they would greatly impede even those tests for which they have been planned and really serve no useful purpose. This is the 12 July TWX from Foster to Betts stating Foster's feelings that the AEC should reduce their sensitivity with regard to the public knowledge of preparations for testing at the NTS. Captain Brady, the chief of the DMA Test Branch, makes a reply for General Betts to Foster's TWX on the same day stating that it is just more of the same type pressure that LRL has kept on DMA for the past two years and that indeed certain of these things can be done but that he doesn't feel that scientific construction or installation should be agreed to at this time without first seeking top level guidance which has to this point only imposed restrictions on those things that Foster has proposed. He further propeses that ALO call in the Labs and H & N and REECO to come up with a well thoughtout construction plan to give maximum sites from a minimum of tunneling. 7 ain Tt Apparently, such a meeting as suggested came to be based on a 21 July TWX from Reeves of ALO to Col. Anderson of DMA which refers to a meeting of representatives of LRL, LVAO and H & N to discuss a concept for digging and construction at the NTS to prepare for a great number of shots. The concept is a LRL one nicknamed Christmas Tree. The TWX sets forth the time and cost involved in the various aspects of the digging and construction at the NTS. On 24 July Betts sent a TWX to the Labs and ALO which he felt was of great importance and should be protected from being distributed to very many people stating that there will be a meeting on the 26th of July at ALO to review for Betts the current test readiness posture. The key person doing the reviewing is a person named O'Brien, who apparently is in the DMA Test Office and he will verify device availability as previously indicated by the Labs, examine the diagnostic instrumentation readiness and availability, and discuss the detailed construction requirements which will be required for the shortranged test program. Furthermore, the general construction requirements for tests beyond the shortranged program will be discussed and Betts requests that each lab have one or two very knowledgeable people present at this meeting.