weapon hed bee:
en: tested bythe - United States,. but that por’ sone
reason or other. the. United: States had net seen fit to make any statcment concerning iti. The unfortunate consequences of such action on _
their part in these circumstances are only too cbvious. In addition,
should the Soviet Union cithcer test a thermenuclear weapon itself
cr announce that it had made. such a test, the United States would
again be in an untenable positicn and would he Forced to acknewledge
the fact that it had had a similar test but had not made any announccment concerning ite Such a statement might be disbelieved, and it.
would certainly have unfortunate repercussions domestically and with
our friends and allics mentioned above.
In view of the ahove, it is concluded that the oclicy of making
ne public announcement regarding the tests is neither desirable nor
feasible.
2.
Exnloit the tests in such a way as to leave the impression that
the United States has thormenucilcar weapons in being.
It is pessible to argue that the United States might exploit
_
the forthcoming tests vigorously. 4if the thermonuclear test proves
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to be successful, it weuld bo no mean scientific and developmental a
achiovement. It would be a great step forward, not only in the
field of scientific understanding cf thermonuclear phenonen2,. bub ca
should also result in the eventual addition cf a furmidable weapon
in the United States arsenal. A United States capability in the
thermonucloar fleld might reassure cur friends and cur own oublic
and might give pause to the Soviet Unicn.
{x is also conceivablic that by public ennouncenent creating
or hcightening the impression in the Scviot Union that the United
States is in possessien of considcrahle additional power misht
permit the United States to chtain a number of sottloments with the
Seviet Unicn, or to force changes and medificaticns in the plans
and intentions of the Scvict Union. Even if We assumc the Sevict
Unien would not know the true stWfe cf affairs, such a course could
ke-mest dangerous. Such a course would be 2 pelicy of bluff, which
we would ho unprepared and unable to back wo if the bluff were cclled,
In any event we cannot assume that the Kremlin will not he aware /
of the true state cf affairs. There are a ccnsiderable number of
individuals in the United States whe will knew that the test is one