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X
isenhower: Papers, 1953-61 :
(Ann Whitman file)
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STUDY OF THE HUMAN Errects
OF IUCLEAR WEAPONS
aoeAction Ho. 1430-p; Memo for NSI from Executive Secretary,
same sudject, dated September 26, 1955; HSC Action No. 1448)
this point in the meeting, Mr. Anderson reminded the
President that he had wished to say a word to the Council ebout the
project for a study of the humen effects of thermonuclear weapons.
Tne PresicGent said that indeed he wished to say something on this
subject. When we begén to talk ebout this kind of wer, the PresiGent said, he invariably beran to wonder just how much of such a”
wer the run of Peoplewould be willing end able to take. The worst
of it wes that the President knew no vay to make 2a sound estimate
or the pouular reaction, since we had hed no prior experience to —form any basis for judgment. Nevertheless, the President wes sure
the matter should be studied, because es we push ahead with these
so-called horror veepons we may unwittingly ness the point of human
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endurance.- The President. stressed the fact-that-he did not want a -
Jot of long-haired professors to undertake such a study, but rather
some down-to-earth knowledgeable people. Continuing, the President
seid we.must pause and think where we are going in the field of
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nese weapons. We may well reach a point where we will have passed ~~
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ne limits of what human beings can endure. What was going to hap= ean aan This is whet the President wished to look into.
Of one
thing he wes dead sure:
No one was going to be the winner in such
a melear.war.
The destruction might be such thet we might have
timetely to go back to bows and errows.
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Mr. Anderson pointed out that the Plenning Board had already draw up terms of reference for such a study, and thet these
‘had been shown to the President at Denver and approved by him for
presentation to the National Security Council. Furthermore, @ num
ber oP names of those’ capable of making suchastudy—hed beer sub---~
mitted to Mr. Anderson by members of the Council.
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The President expressed his satisfaction, but ooserved
that he wanted this study not to be conducted in the oven.
thought
make of
tion of
made on
He
that perheps Val Peterson wes che best choice he could
an individual within the Government to guide the vreparathe study. He asain stressed that the study should be
a fairly confidential besis, end indicated that he wished
to have Mr. Anderson ask Governor Peterson to undertake the study
arter Governor Peterson returned to Washington.
At the conclusion of the Heeting, Mr. Allen Dulles seid
that a Congressional committee had requested him to five a clessisted briefing on the Soviet guided missile program, and he would
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UNCLASSIFIED
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