ATOMIC ENERGY


detract from the major weapons effort in this country, either in terms
of raw materials or scientific manpower.
  Before proceeding to analyze our interest and intent in these ne-
gotiations, it should be pointed out that all U.S. participants are in
agreement that a limited or particularized exchange of information
has many shortcomings. Based largely on the experience under the
modus vivendi,7 it is agreed that the exchange of information to
provide maximum advantage should be across-the-board.
  At the outset, we must consider what the U.S. interest is in obtaining
from the British an assurance that they will not engage in additional
production activities in the U.K.--even though those production activi-
ties do not compete for essential raw materials--if these production
activities are of such a nature that they might more efficiently be
conducted in the U.S. This constitutes one of the negotiating objectives
of the March 2 paper, which the exploratory talks have indicated the
U.K. will not accept. It must be assumed in considering this question
that there have been constructed in the U.S. all the production facilities
considered essential for the combined weapons program. In particular
terms the question is, assuming that this is the case, what objection
does the U.S. have if the U.K. construct in England a low separation
diffusion plant and later is in a position to supplement it with a high
separation diffusion plant, which would put them in possession of
facilities for producing uranium-235 similar to, but smaller than, those
now in existence at Oak Ridge. On the basis of the proposals made by
the U.K., it is assumed that these plants would not have an adverse
effect upon U.S. requirements (for raw material and that the sending of
British scientists to help in the combined program centered in the tU.S.
would not be interfered with. It must be recognized of course that there
is always a question whether, in view of -a substantial program existing
in the U.K., it would be a second team that would come to 'this country.
It is likely, however, that those scientists who would be engaged in
the LSD and HSD operations in the U.K. would not have much to
offer to U.S. operations in this area in which the U.S. already has a
full-blown program.
  This country would appear to have three interests in this regard.
The first is, that both the U.S. and the U.K. suffer to the extent
that men and materials are expended by the U.K. in England for the
construction of what are essentially duplicate facilities if those men
and materials might have been utilized either here or in the U.K. on
some other phase of the program which is complementary to the exist-
ing program and hence would advance the combined program to a

  7 Reference is to the modus vivendi for tripartite cooperation, concluded
by the
United Sitates, ,the United Kingdom, and Canada and recorded in the minutes
of
the Combined Policy Committee, January 7, 1948; for text, see Foreign Relation8,
1948, vol. I, Part 2, p. 683.


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