#161 - 4 available to the Russians whic. would allow them to possibly reduce the seismic signal from a ten iloton blast to a one Miloton sound level, /-nd in view of that, in view of the fact that we have already offered to inspect only twenty per cent of events below five Kilotons, do you still think it will be safe to conclude and sign a cessation agree- ment with the Russians without danger of cheating or evasion? THE PRESIDENT: Well, you've asked a question that has about as many technicalities in it as I can imagine, Now, this decoupling is, as you know, it's the possibility of setting an explosion off, the full effect of which is not communicated to instruments that are related around the whole locality, the whole country. Now, what we have done, we have filed these reports and I believe that there is a fixed date when they will come up, I mean will come out for the public, Isn't that so? (conferring with Mr, Nagerty) Yes. And everybody will have a chance to take a look at them and the conclusions of the panel, They are -- this coupling with ti:iose reports is new -- is the production of a new technique that makes -he possibility of detecting now very much better than it was when we made the first settlement with ~- at Geneva. Now, this means that the very time when you have found out that some of the possibilities of concealinent have grown up, the possibilities of detection have gone up at about an equal rate, apparently, so that you have a tremendously difficult technical problem to solve if you're going to get equality in this business, But I do say this: We would be foolish if we expect 10: per cent from any system. There is no systein, whether it be defensive or detection or intelligence or planning or anything else, that is 100 per cent per- REPRODUCED AT THE DWIGHTD. EISENHOWER LIBRARY fect, What we do have to do is to minimize the risk or minimize -- let's say refine the process to the point where we minimize risks and indeed bring them down below the level where they could be truly dangerous to our country. ™, Donovan, New York iierald Tribune, Mr, President, in thinkinp about your heavy responsibilities with nuclear warfare, I have often wondered, have you ever seen a hydrogen bomb? THE PRESIDENT: They won't allow me (laughter), I have seen the