374. Memorandum of Conference with the President1
OTHERS PRESENT
- Dr. Libby
- General Goodpaster
Just following NSC, the President met briefly with Dr. Libby, at Mr. McCone’s request, to express to Dr. Libby his philosophy regarding exchange of atomic information with the British. The essence of his view is that such exchange should be full and generous; any attempt to do otherwise with true allys is bound to alienate them. The President cited the British assistance to us in World War II through making their intelligence available to us (when we had no intelligence of our own, not having maintained intelligence sections between the wars); he further cited their assistance to us in getting work started on atomic weapons, in providing us information about radar, and information on the design and development of jet engines.
Dr. Libby said that the Atomic Energy Commission has favored a “measured” approach, but he felt Congress is ready to go all the way, in measured fashion, in providing this information to the British. He indicated he thought he understood the President’s point of view, and that he was in agreement with it and would seek to carry it out. He recalled to the President that we have pressed the British, on their side, to make available information regarding certain lines of development having commercial significance which they have emphasized.
Brigadier General, USA
- Source: Eisenhower urges full and generous exchange of information with U.K. Secret. 1 p. Eisenhower Library, White House Office Files, Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary, AEC, Vol. II. Drafted on August 23.↩