ATOMIC ENERGY5


toward discussing such proposal with the British and the Canadians
if possible within ia month or six weeks. It was recognized that the
commitment which the Secretary of State made to the Joint Com-
mittee last October 5 in no way precluded having informal discussions
with the British and the Canadians provided no final commitments
were made or agreements reached without further consultation with
the Congress.
   SECRETARY AcHESoN expressed the view that inasmuch as the De-
 partment of Defense has the greatest interest in arrangements involv-
 ing ,military security the most expeditious way to go about firming
 up a U.S. position would be to have the Department of Defense come
 up with its recommendations. Once these were in hand the Atomic
 Energy Commission and the Department of State could make their
 respective contributions. SECRETARY JoHNSON agreed that this would
 be the most suitable way to proceed. He stated that Mr. LeBaron, in
 close consultation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Secre-
 taries, would proceed immediately to firm up the views of the De-
 partment of Defense. At this juncture it would not be concerned with
 the question of the law which would be taken up in due course when
 it was established what over-all arrangement was deemed desirable.
   The meeting thereupon adjourned.
                                              R. GORDON ARNESON
  5In a meeting with the Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy,
  October 13, 1949, Executive Branch representatives, including Secretary
Acheson,
reiterated assurances that no binding tripartite "arrangements would
be con-
cluded without the prior knowledge of the Joint Committee. The transcript
of
the meeting is not printed. (Department of State Atomic Energy Files)

SCI Files
  The Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic
            Energy ( MeMahon) to the Secretary of State

TOP SECRET                      [WASHINGTON,] September 21, 1950.
  DEAR MR. SECRETARY: Enclosed is a copy of a self-explanatory
letter which I have just written to Secretary Marshall.'
  I am 'advised that, in order to avoid loss of time, you have been
kept informed as to the progress of ,the preliminary work performed
by the former Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Atomic
Energy Commission regarding the scale and scope of the nation's
atomic energy effort.2 As I indicated to Secretary Marshall, I deeply

  'Gen. of the Army George C. Marshall, former Army Chief of Staff (1939-1945)
and Secretary of State (1947-1949), succeeded Louis A. Johnson as Secretary
of Defense on September 21.
  2Reference is to work in process pursuant to the President's directive
of
August 5; see p. 570.


575