= 408485 COMMITTEE fark GENERAL sDvIsoRt REPOSITORY N AA ERGY COMMISSION COLLECTIO who51-50 . S. WaATshOMinICgtEN on 25, D. C, 0) pox no. 2/7 (W03~ 324-93-F | May 29, 1954 Vt rownen O¢ M7 GAC Manis 7 Mr, Lewis L. Strauss, Chairman U. S. Atomic Energy Commission Washington 25, D. C, : BEST COPYAVAILABLE Dear Mr. Strauss: Hetewith is the statement of the Committee's opiriion with respect to the weapons test program. This statement is an integral art of the report of the Chairman of the General Advisory Committee. to the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of the 40th Meeting of the GAC; The Committee wishes to telterate its opinion that our test program ds offe of the most important elements in our whole weapons program. Without it, we could not prove out the advances which are being made in the weapons laboratories to increase the magnitude, the efficiency, and the variety of weapons in our stockpile. We therefore believe that if any international arrangement were made to curtail or abolish these tests, it should only be made under such arrangements that we obtain an equivalent value, or greater, for the security of the United States. With respect to your question as to whether a violation of an agree- ment could be determined, our best opinion is that if the weapon tested were in the megaton range that we would almost certainly detect the effects even though it were a deep underwater explosion. On the other hand, we are not certain at the present time whether this effect would be distinguishable from the impact of a meteor. In any event, it was our feeling that it would be much better to be certain that no test is made through some system of inspection rather © than to try to prove that such a test had been made, since such a procedure would result only in long and inconclusive discussions, CLASSIFICATION CANCELLED BY AUTHORITY OF DOE/OC REVIEWED By e Sincerely yours, HLS ¢ DATE H.R. Schmidt gilss By: W. Tenet, 3/21) 86 I. I. Rabi chaiyman