Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1969–1972

83. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon¹ ²

Washington, April 8, 1969

SUBJECT:

• Nuclear Arms Control of the Seabeds

The debate on arms control of the seabeds has moved more rapidly at the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Conference in Geneva than was anticipated during our discussion of the subject at the NSC meeting on March 15. The Soviet Union has now tabled a draft treaty prohibiting all military uses of the seabeds. ACDA would like to counter the unacceptable Soviet draft treaty with a U.S. draft treaty for nuclear arms control of the seabeds. Moreover, ACDA believes that there is evidence that such a treaty might be acceptable to the Soviet Union.

As you recall, Secretary Laird and General Wheeler expressed reservations about such a treaty at the March 15 NSC meeting. Nevertheless, on the understanding that the negotiation of such a treaty would take a long time, Gerry Smith was authorized to take a forthcoming position at the ENDC and indicate our interest in working out an international agreement. In these circumstances, before deciding to accelerate the negotiation by tabling a U.S. draft treaty, I believe the NSC should first consider whether such a treaty would, in fact, be in the overall U.S. interest; and, if so, on what time scale we should proceed with the negotiations.

The study will have to be conducted on a relatively short time schedule if we want to maintain the option of tabling a draft treaty at the present session of the ENDC which will recess in the middle of May. However, the study should not be difficult for the interested agencies to prepare since much of the material was covered in connection with the preparation for the resumption of the ENDC.

If you approve, I will sign the attached NSSM requesting a study on the issue of a possible treaty on nuclear arms control of the seabeds.

Approve [Nixon initialed]
Disapprove
Other

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–146, NSSM 41. Confidential. Nixon initialed “Approve.” The attachment at Tab A is not published. The signed and dated NSSM is Document 202.
2. Kissinger outlined the debate over the proposed Soviet treaty to ban all military use of seabeds and highlighted the ACDA counter proposal targeting nuclear weapons only. He then recommended that the NSC consider whether a treaty prohibiting nuclear arms on the seabeds would be in the overall U.S. interest and what time scale they should follow should the negotiations continue. He attached a draft NSSM requesting a study of the issue for Nixon’s consideration.