Office of the Historian

Eisenhower Library, Whitman file, Administration series—Lodge

The United States Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) to the President1

secret
New York, November 9, 1954.

Dear Mr. President: We are rapidly reaching a climax with respect to our item on the peaceful uses of atomic energy. It will either be clean cut and world resounding, or it will be just a “pretty good”, argumentative climax.

Using your December 8, 1953 speech as a springboard, the Secretary of State spoke at the General Assembly opening.

Last week, I added the following:

an offer of a large amount of informational and educational material;

an offer of facilities for the training of a large number of medical, scientific, agricultural, industrial, and electric power scientists, engineers, and technicians;

and a reaffirmation of our willingness to implement your original proposal, “under the aegis of the United Nations”.

But the thing that will make all of this come alive is missing. That is a statement by the United States that it is setting aside a specified quantity of fissionable material to get this program off the ground. The figure suggested a few weeks ago was 100 kilograms—enough to activate 30 to 40 experimental reactors.

I was advised yesterday that Lewis Strauss will place this matter before you on Thursday,2 and if he obtains your approval, will then get the blessing of his Joint Committee.

If Atoms-For-Peace, which you so dramatically, yet convincingly launched last December is to have the kind of U.S. identification, validity, and vitality that it deserves, it should have this “shot in the arm”—a definite quantity of fissionable material, say 100 kilograms.

I know of your keen personal interest in this project, which is why I take the liberty of writing to you about it now. It really is [Page 1554] important to move fast. I have already discussed this whole matter with Secretary Dulles and am telling him about this letter.3

Faithfully yours,

Cabot L.
  1. The source text bears the following handwritten notation by the President: “15 November—approved this a.m.”↩
  2. According to the President’s appointment book, his next meeting with Admiral Strauss was a minute off-the-record session on Monday morning, Nov. 15. (Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower records, “President—Daily Appointments”)↩
  3. Ambassador Lodge transmitted a copy of this communication to Secretary Dulles by letter of Nov. 9. (600.0012/8–954)↩