applications of these phenomena and would holp to ward off the
Sovict charge--certain to he made again when the test takes
place this Fall--that the United States is preoccupied only
with the develosment of weapons of mass destruction.
Care
should he taken that this aspect of thermonuclear phenomena is
not overrplayed, for to do so would run the risk ofserious distertion in speculative comment which could only’ redound to our
Sisadvantage. while therc would he considerable psychclogicsl
_advantaze to be hed in making mention cf this aspect of thermo
nuclear reactions, it appears, for the present at least, thet
the possibilities are too nehvlous to warrant any official
Corman.
If the thermonuclear test is not fully successful, a genoral
factual announcement should stiil be made and showid, in fact, he
similar to the one that woul" he mado were tho test fully
successful. .Tho Kilotonmecs yield ef the test would still he
very substantial even if there were no thermonuclear reaction.
uw
If the test were only partially successful, or if it should fail,
considerable knowledge of the feasibility of such reactions w oule
be acquired.
164