ATOMIC ENERGY


  Comment: The Joint Chiefs of Staff, having been closely associated
with the armament negotiations in the United Nations, believe that
the record of such negotiations indicates the impossibility of a change
in the course of future negotiations until the USSR alters its un-
compromising attitude. It is likely that known possession of the super
bomb on the part of the United States and the lack of such a bomb
on the part of the USSR could well affect future armament
negotiations.
  (4) Question: Should the United States postpone the super bomb
project until the response of other nations has been received?
  Comment: Except possibly for such nations as were closely and
intimately allied with the United States in World War II in the Man-
hattan Project and which higher authority may decide to consult,
the Joint Chiefs of Staff are of the opinion that responses from other
nations should not be sought. Again, the Joint Chiefs of Staff believe
that there are nations which, upon seeing the possibility of the develop-
ment of a super bomb, will pursue that development to a feasible end
without first seeking outside response.
d. Psychological Value.
   (1) Question: What effect would fear of the use of a super bomb
by an enemy have upon the United States?
  Comment: One effect most certainly would be that those persons
who really fear the use by an enemy of a super bomb on the United
States would bring a tremendous pressure to bear to provide a maxi-
mum defense for each locality in which they happened to live and
work. As a result of such pressures and demands, the strategic re-
sources of the United States could be so diverted to defensive require-
ments that the United States would find itself unable to generate
sufficient offensive power to gain victory.
   (2)  Question: What effect would fear of the use of the super
bomb by the United States have upon an enemy?
  Comment: The comments to the question immediately above apply
in this case in reverse order. Further, the Joint Chiefs of Staff believe
that fear of the use of a super bomb by the United States might deter
an enemy from taking aggressive action.
   (3) Question: What effect would known possession of the super
bomb by the United States have upon the public?
  Comment: The Joint Chiefs of Staff believe that the people of this
country demand that those charged with the military security should
have the most modern effective weapons. The public expects that the
United States Government will do everything possible to prevent a
war while at the same time being prepared to win a war should it
come.


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