Office of the Historian

97. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, November 21, 1956, 2:30 p.m.1

Washington, November 21, 1956, 2:30 p.m.

OTHERS PRESENT

  • Admiral Strauss
  • Secretary Robertson
  • Admiral Radford
  • General Loper
  • General Luedecke2
  • Colonel Goodpaster

There was discussion of proposals for dispersal of nuclear weapons. A memorandum on the matter was shown to the President, and discussed with him. Charts showing the planned deployment were also shown and discussed.

The President stressed the desirability of having a considerable number of weapons in “safe reserve.” If too many were in forward bases, our ability to strike back after attack might be endangered. Admiral Radford thought that attention could well be given to assuring greater safety of those intended for SAC units in this country.

There was discussion of the advisability of carrying weapons in aircraft during their changes in deployment.

The President said he thought we must distribute these weapons in accordance with the best judgment of the Joint Chiefs. He would assume that necessary State Department concurrence was obtained.

Following further discussion, Admiral Radford undertook to determine what percentage of the total destructive kilotonnage would be in the U.S. as against other areas.3

G

Colonel, CE, US Army
  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. Top Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster.↩
  2. Major General A.R. Luedecke, USAF, Official Observer, Military Liaison Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission.↩
  3. According to an entry for November 21 in the President’s diary, Eisenhower dictated the following note concerning this meeting: “I approved today the Joint Chiefs of Staffs’ plan for the dispersal to bases, fields and ships afloat all the present atomic stock pile, nuclear and fission. I informed the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff that (a) the State Department should be in agreement with all dispersal involving overseas bases, and (b) today’s dispersal should mark the approximate number of those to be maintained permanently in the field. The bulk of those manufactured hereafter (except for air defense types) should be kept in United States reserve stocks.” (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries)↩