Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–14, Part 2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1973–1976

81. Memorandum NSC–U/DM–128 From the Chairman of the National Security Council Under Secretaries Committee (Ingersoll) to President Ford¹

Washington, September 13, 1974.

SUBJECT

• Modification of the Limited Test Ban Treaty

As directed, the Under Secretaries Committee has prepared the enclosed report concerning “Modification of the Limited Test Ban Treaty to Allow Peaceful Nuclear Explosions for Excavation Projects.”

The questions examined in this report are related to two other matters currently under consideration: negotiation with the Soviet Union of the agreement on peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs) contemplated by the Threshold Test Ban Treaty, and our strategy concerning nonproliferation of nuclear weapons.

The report presents three alternatives for consideration:

—to agree to consider modification of the Limited Test Ban Treaty;

—to reject modification; or

—to adopt a neutral position but refrain from objecting if the Soviets desire to seek formal amendment of the treaty.

The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency favors the second of these alternatives. The Arms Control and Disarmament Agency believes that an amendment to the Limited Test Ban Treaty would not be in our interest, that it would not be approved by the Senate, and that we should not lead the Soviet Union to believe we would be prepared to support such an amendment.

The AEC favors attempting to separate the question of Limited Test Ban Treaty modification from the U.S.-Soviet negotiation of a PNE agreement. In the view of the AEC, we should adopt an initial position along the lines of the third alternative. As part of this position, the AEC believes we should agree to participate in further bilateral and multilateral examinations of health and safety criteria and other technical questions related to nuclear excavation. The AEC notes that, as discussed in the report, four meetings are planned in which nuclear excavation will be a principal subject and believes that U.S. participation in these meetings would facilitate the development of a U.S. policy position on Limited Test Ban Treaty modification.

The remaining members of the Under Secretaries Committee have not presented views for submission with this report.

Robert S. Ingersoll Chairman

1. Summary: Ingersoll informed President Ford of the report prepared by the Interagency Study Group for the NSC Under Secretaries Committee, entitled “Modification of the Limited Test Ban Treaty to Allow Peaceful Nuclear Explosions for Excavation Projects.” He noted that the report presented three options for consideration regarding the treaty and highlighted Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and Atomic Energy Commission views of the options.

   Source: Ford Library, National Security Council, Institutional Files—Under Secretaries Committee, Box 74, NSC–U/DM 128—Limited Test Ban Treaty (1). Secret. The report is Document 82.