plan for Operation IVY was acting in accordance with the recommendation of the National Security Council which recommended a
low pressure public information program concerning all aspects
of the fall 1952 Eniwetok tests,
DISCUSSION
4,

Personal mail censorship program would provide some

"insulation" against the "I was there" problem which was reflected in several of the "eye-witness accounts” appearing in the
press following Operation IVY and would allow supervisory per-~
sonnel of the Task Force an opportunity to assure that all personnel were completely aware of what information concerning the
Task Force Operations could be disclosed on an unclassified basis.
5. Censorship on the other hand, no matter how vigorously
applied, cannot of itself,

safeguard information concerning the

tests following the return of Task Force personnel from the
Proving Ground.

Classified information in the possession of

personnel returning from Eniwetok could be compromised if Task
Force personnel were not diligent in observing the security
instructions since the security program in the end rests in the
personal discretion of the individuals to whom the information
has been entrusted,

Indiscretions on the part of the returning

personnel could defeat a censorship program,
sorship would not,

of course,

In addition,

cen-

prevent the press from speculating

on activities of the Task Force at the Proving Ground since the
magnitude of the tests,

i.e., movement of ships and personnel,

tend to identify reasonably well the operational phase.
connection the Commission announzed on April 2,

1953,

In this

that to

accommodate the rapidly expanding program of developing and
testing new and improved nuclear weapons,

~5-

the Pacific Proving

Appendix "A"

Select target paragraph3