pmetiv Wee BA OCIUVNGL std a yy TOR-SHERET Papers, 1953-61 ! (Ann Whitman File) © pA ee A ar * ME eat vibe iyDe odiie”in igBil, Hsenhowert the package reactor as currently used by the U. S. military. A Strauss pointed out that in addition to the military uses of th actor, it had "interesting" implications for civilian atomic po and besides, it had cost only #2 million. President, he was satisfied. . In that case, said t Prompted by a note from Admiral Radford, the Presiden that he had another question to pose for Council discussion. I as many of the things which we propose to dO in this paper were done for psychological and political advantages to the United S why could we not put a nuclear propulsion unit, such as was use the NAUTILUS, into a U. S. merchant vessel, which could thereaf sail around the world as an advertisement of the promise and pr of the U. S. program for the peaceful uses of atomic energy? A Strauss quickly replied thet conversations with regard t6 such ject were already on foot bétween the AEC and the Newport News building Corporation. The President appeared gratified, and 5s @ said that Admiral Strauss always seemed to anticipate his own i If this, however, were the case, why did we not give some indic of it to the press? We could at least inform the newspapers t project was under study by the Government. Such a merchant ves - would, in the President's words, constitute "a travelling showc Admiral Radford inquired whether the submarine type of propulsion unit, already developed, could not be transferred for uge in a merchant vessel, and if so, how long would the operation requjre? Admiral Strauss replied that if one undertook to do this "as a gtunt" it could probably be done in a matter of some ninety days. On fhe other hand, he personally much preferred to construct a new nuclear propulsion unit for the specific purpose of providing power for]e merchant vessel. This would require perhaps a period of two years to build. The President said that he rather hoped that somethink like | this could be done prior to the opening of the Afro-Asian Conference in Indonesia next month. Admiral Strauss then asked permission from the Councill to - describe briefly the plans of the AEC for the forthcoming meet of atomic scientists sponsored by the Swiss Academy in Geneva. It] was proposed to build a reactor in Geneva at a cost of between $300,000 and $400,000 for this occasion. Moreover, if the State Department agrees, and can successfully negotiate the project with the Swigs Government, the AEC proposed to leave the reactor in situ at the conclusion of the meeting. — The National Security Council; Be Discussed the draft statement of policy on the subject contained in the reference report (NSC 5507/1) in the © 7