a7 In a 31 July TWX to Foster, Betts essentially says no to Foster's request for additional work to be initiated at the NTS and for some of the cover for readiness preparations to be lifted. Betts stresses that the sensitivity to test resumption and preparation is not reduced and if anything is increased in the Washington area. Further states that DMA has not attributed their underground construction entirely to Vela and does not intend to do so and says that until the Vela program is defined in a more detailed way, Betts does not consider it possible to assign specific sites as Foster has recommended. A staff paper from the DMA Test Office for the AEC and the Chairman, discussing the status of readiness at the NTS, was prepared and is filed in MRA-7 "NTS (Test Planning)". A 7 August memo from Col. Anderson of DMA to Chairman Seaborg, addresses the incremental cost per shot for the various types of weapons tests above ground, below ground and outer space. The rough estimates for each type are, below ground from about 2 to 4 million dollars per shot, including both AEC and DoD costs, above ground NTS shots about 1.5 million per shot, above ground Eniwetok shots about 3.5 million per shot, including both AEC and DoD costs, and outer space testing with a number of assumptions about the success of the Atlas Centaur rocket assumes that the first successful weapons test would cost about 100 million dollars and each successful shot thereafter would be 10 to 15 million dollars. Aq A TWX from Foster to Betts on 8 August acknowledges the sensitivity of any preparations for testing but further requests that cable procurement for long lead needs be done immediately even if the cables have to he stored at the factory and cannot be delivered to the NTS. Along these lines Reeves of ALO on 9 August sent a request to Betts for the procurement of the LRL and LASL required cables for the NTS program. There follows in this file two letters including all the enclosures from General Betts to the Labs, dated 11 and 17 August which I have copies of in other files. The next entry is a 31 August TWX from Betts to Hertford and the Lab directors stating that the sensitivity of preparations for testing no longer applies and giving details of what the Labs may go ahead with as far as preparing for an immediate resumption of testing. First goal is to be a 54 proof test on or before 14 September. A memorandum from the General Manager to the Chairman Seaborg on the 4th of September is based on discussions with General Betts and the Weapons Labs, the operation offices and the contractors in- volved in test resumption. The paper sets forth several alternatives to the already planned short~term@@ testing program underground at NTS and the disadvantages and advantages connected with each of the alternatives. The first alternative would be a three-shot program at the NTS in the shortest possible time. The three devices tested would be a 54, an Arrow, and a Tsetse. Among other things this emergency program to be completed between 14 September and 12 October would delay any further shots since the cable inventory would be virtually exhausted and also the diagnostics would be SO Minimal as to perhaps require some tests to be redone in the future.