POLITICAL
How long will friends or neutrals remain friendly or neutral while
threatened by needless suffering from our indiscriminate weapons’? Such
consideratians now severely limit our foreign policy; NATO is an
ple.
in Europe cur friends fear nuclear defense almost as much as Russ
aggression. They are reluctant to accept our missile bases, partl
because of our nuciear limitations and reputation. [If the chips are prer
down, nuclear fears may predominate, unless the present climate
opinicn changes.
For practical purposes Russia has achieved her objective of
the bomb.
By her own massive deterrent she renders ali-out ouclear war
unacceptable to us except in defense or when our natianal security i
otherwise deemed at stake. By skillfully inciting the widespread
that any nuclear weapon anywhere means inevitable all-out nuclear
she blocks our use of weapons short of all-out war. We can escape|from
this strait jacket only if we deny such Russian assertions, give evidence
of discretion and restraint in the use of nuclear weapons, and develpp
weapons to that end - clean weapons of all sizes.
MILITARY
i.
Hard targets require high yield surface burst weapons. Vast
and deadly areas of nuclear contamination can result. Friendly forces,
friendly populations, or neutrals may suffer. The use of ground paret
nuclear weapons may involve a choice between moral, political, an
military considerations, and the latter may suffer. Or the others.
Either way, clean weapons, by reducing the area and amount of
contamination, reduce the problem.
z-
In war it may be necessary to traverse or occupy burst
areas. Again, this is easier if the weapons are clean.
The principal objection which might be raised to stressing the
reasons for continued testing is the Lmplied admission that prosent
weapons are dangerously radioactive. On the other hand, U.S. agree-
ment on the slngle issue of test suspension would imply the same
The impression is already so widespread that our position
“78pm
“ae 1
_
8
could scarcely be worsened in this respect.
"OY
admission.
.