37
the spectrum measurements in such areas as x-ray and neutron outputs, which
is often required by the DOD. He goes into some detail on what he feels is

the proper definition of the weapons effects responsibility which the DOD
does in fact have, and makes the following statements: ''We believe the
AEC should understand these words to mean the effects which are caused by

the use of nuclear weapons on systems or things of DOD interest, for example

structures, communication, etc. The effects of nuclear weapons on nuclear
weapons are an AEC responsibility as is the determination of the actual
eminations coming out of the detonating nuclear system. The latter should
not be considered to be a "weapon effect.'' It is also important that the
AEC ascertain whatever it canabout the phenomena associated with nuclear
explosions whether of immediate interest to the DOD or not." Dr. Bradbury
also discusses the theoretical role of DASA as a collection and sorting
agency for the various services within the DOD and feels that the AEC should
have no objection to them acting as such but sort of wistfully wishes that
they in fact could act as such instead of having the various contractors
and services come directly to the AEC and the labs in so many cases.

A30

A letter from Commissioner Leland Haworth to Mr. Bundy, the President's
special assistant for national security affairs on 15 Dec. addresses the
advantages to be gained by having Christmas Island available for the
test series. The summary of the letter reads ''To summarize, the availability of Christmas Island by Jan 1962 for the coming series of tests would

be highly advantageous in that it would permit the conduct of a more extensive

more carefully instrumented, and operationally simpler program with greater
assurances of attainment of test abjectives. Even if use in this series were
limited by shortage of time, gvailability for subsequent series could be of
great importance. However, e¥é“rigorous restrictions imposed by the British,
particularly on the content of the test series or on our freedom of control,
could largely, or even completely, nullify the potential advantages."

Mr. Haworth concentrates some length in his letter on the subject of the
desirability of having the island base for the most accurate and proper
diagnosis and output measurements of the tests themselves.

He makes a very

strong point as to the need for a fixed base and at most desirable a land
base for diagnostic instrumentation to carefully pinpoint its position and
also the desirability of having the detonation carefully located and he
compares the use of Christmas Island either in conjunction with airdrops or

in some cases balloon tethered shots to the diagnostics problems with having

an open ocean series where the devices would be either airdropped or on
ships in some cases and the instrumentation would Bay;largely either shipbased or airborne.
See (Prrningner- pats L&De
f DEC of

A 16 Dec. TWX from Foster to Gen. Betts on the Vine
of the gray area
between AEC and DOD responsibilities states the following:
‘Specifically
my understanding is that the AEC has responsibility for warhead design and
output, including blast, x-rays, neutrons, and gamma rays. The ''gray area"
is the transmission of these effects. The DOD responsibility is the response
of military equipment and personnel to these effects. This position seems
adequately covered in Starbird's letter to Dr.

Brown, Director, LRL, on

Nov. 23, 1960." Foster goes on to say that he doesn’t feel there is a gray
area involved in the request for LASL to make a measurement on the radiation
produced by the warhead being questioned here, as weil as he feels there
is no question on the 1000-kilometer shot which he feels are both appropriate
experiments for the AEC to perform if it so desires.

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