Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volumes VII, VIII, IX, Arms Control; National Security Policy; Foreign Economic Policy, Microfiche Supplement

140. Personal Message from Prime Minister Macmillan to President Kennedy, August 1¹

August 1, 1962

Dear Friend,

I was very grateful for your letter of July 27 and for your frank statement of your views about tests.

As you know, my own view is that all nuclear tests should be abolished and as I explained at Bermuda last year I do not believe that we should be worse off if this were to happen. Whatever your and our scientists may say, I believe that we could really detect any significant series of Soviet tests if they tried to cheat.

However, I quite realize that you do not entirely share this view and that anyway Congress would not accept it, at least at the moment. So I agree that there would now be advantage in offering both the atmospheric ban, as you suggest, and also a comprehensive treaty which at this stage would not need to specify the exact number of inspections.

I am looking into the question of Christmas Island but I should think that we would not find it too difficult to keep the installations on a care and maintenance basis, as indeed we have been doing in recent years. I am looking into this further and if the treaties were tabled we would certainly consider doing as you suggest. Of course, the question of re-activating Christmas Island in the event of the Russians cheating would have to be discussed between the United States and British Governments of the day.

I have not discussed your letter with anyone except David Gore who is here on leave and with Alec Home. So these are just my own personal thoughts.

With warm regards,

Yours sincerely,

Harold Macmillan

1. Views on atmospheric ban, comprehensive treaty, and use of Christmas Island. Top Secret. 2 pp. Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204, Macmillan–Kennedy, 1961–1962.