173. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Norway1
929. Dept and AEC considering recent Soviet offer to Norwegians of atomic energy cooperation. On March 7 [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] informed us of offer and stressed advantages he saw to such cooperation in developing useful information on Soviet atomic energy efforts. Meeting in question devoted to examination of manner in which US might be able help Norwegian nuclear program, nonetheless [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] in no way indicated that prospect US U–235 help would therefore lead to their turn-down Soviet overture.2
Dept’s preliminary view is that any US objection likely to be unproductive and possibly worse. This is despite fact Norwegians must be aware difficulties arising from presence Soviet scientists in Norway. For instance, this would raise serious doubts about whether US could entertain Norwegian interest in negotiating classified agreement for cooperation. Nonetheless, and assuming Norwegians decide go ahead, feel that perhaps best tactic would be to work with Norwegians to extent feasible [2 lines of source text not declassified].
Advise your judgment earliest, including probable Norwegian action.
Re Embtel 8973Dept not informed British aide-mémoire. We have asked British Embassy for rationale their approach Norwegians.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 641.5797/3–1656. Secret. Drafted by J. Robert Schaetzel, Office of the Special Assistant for Atomic Energy Affairs, and approved and signed for Hoover by Gerard C. Smith.↩
- No other record of this conversation has been found in Department of State files.↩
- [3½ lines of text not declassified] Telegram 897 is in Department of State, Central Files, 641.5797/3–1656.↩