.
LL©
Source:
Strauss to Files
July 13, 1956
411545
Release of Redwing Statements
This concerns a draft of a statement by reasond the successful
results at Redwing in producing weapons which minimize fallout.
There has been general discussion in Administration circles of
the adviseability of issuing a statement to this effect.
Within
the Commission Libby has been zealous that the wording of the
statement should in no way compromise information that might lead
our friendly powers to a deduction as to the composition or
geometry of weapons.
At a meeting of the OCB a week ago there was
a discussion of the almost disastrous effects of the release of
testimony by General Gavin to the effect that in the event of a
war with Russia in which strategic bombing took place on a large
scale, we would be responsible for the deaths of several hundred
million neutral or friendly persons, specifically in Japan and the
Philippines.
This had produced a bad effect that appeared to be
growing in these areas and had evoked a scream of protests from
General Gruenther.
At the OCB meeting on Wednesday, July 11, I was urged to delay no
bnger in issuing the statement or in persuading the President to
issue it and I accordingly prepared a draft which was approved by
Commissbpners Libby and Vance.
At the NSC meeting the following
morning, July 12, Secretary Dulles crossed the room to me before
the meeting started, leaned over and whispered, "I just heard about
the statement and I hope you can arrange that it goes out not later
than today."
Because of the fact that it would have been impossible
to send it around for individual clearance, I called on the telephone
Allan Dulles, Dillon Anderson, William H. Jackson, Harold Stassen,
and Gordon Gray, Assistant Secretary of Defense, and I may have
left out a name or two.
In the late afternoon, Herbert Hoover, Jr., asked me if I would meet
with Secretary Dulles on the subject and I spent about a half hour
in Mr. Dulles' office and about an equal amount of time afterwards
with Mr. Hoover discussing the wording and making some changes in
the statement. Mr. Dulles expressed the earnest hope that it would
not be deferred beyond Friday, July 13th.
I embodied the statement
in a letter to Mr. Hagerty and sent it up to the President at
Gettysburg this morning.
About noon Governor Adams called me and
said that the President wished to make a few changes subject to
Strauss' approval.
however,
The changes were generally good.
One sentence,
verged on what Libby was concerned about and I asked that
it be omitted and it was striken.
Strauss then goes on to explain how the statement was not released
on Hagerty's direction.
Apparently Dulles had not been aware that
Operation Alert had just taken place.
It was decided to delay the
statement for three or four days.
tee
ws Ly
REPOSITORY
Poe
Pox
teey!
Hpoh.
Ma
Lov
( s
ns, Tran
l
Sqefe
COLLECTION tre
BOXNo.
FOLDER
1
—
14
i
a!
ie No Gta he