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FOR RELEASE IN 1H SUNDAY PAPERS, OCTOEWR 21, 1956
James C, Hagerty, Press Secretary to the President
407753
THE WHITE HOUSE
MEMORANDUM FOR
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
Lewis L. Strauss
Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission
The distinguished and representative group of American scientists
whose names are appended to the attached document have notified
me that they endorse it in their individual capacities.
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The question of the development and testing of nuclear weapons
can be divided into two components: first - disarmament, and
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second - fears of radioactive fallout.
REPRODUCED AT THE DWIGHTD.
EISENHOWER LIBRARY
With respect to disarmament, the Administration of President
Eisenhower has certainly made, and continues to make, the
most vigorous efforts to bring about international agreement
on a system of disarmament which would eliminate or reduce
the production and testing of nuclear weapons,
Until such
an agreement is obtained, with guarantees which protect the
American people and the peoples of the free world, we have
no prudent course except to continue the development and
testing of the most modern weapons of defense.
With respect to radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions,
the most authoritative information available on this subject
is to be found in the recent study conducted by the National
Academy of Sciences,
This study was independent of the
Government and was generally confirmed by a separate study
made by the British Medical Research Council and reported
to Parliament. Both studies concluded that the unavoidable
exposure to cosmic rays, normal radioactivity in the soil
and medical use of X-rays very greatly exceeded the exposure
that results from the tests of weapons, even assuming such
tests are continued into the future at the present rate.
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