COMMENTS ON MAY 6 LIFE ARTICLE BY AEC COMMISSIONER MURRAY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000700140038-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 30, 2009
• Sequence Number: 38
• Publication Date: January 1, 1957
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2009/01/30 :CIA-RDP80B01676R000700140038-1
M~RAI~UM FC7R: Director of Central Intelligence
THROUGH: Deputy Director~Intelligence G
SUBJECT: Comments on May 6 LIFE Article by AEC Commissioner Murray
i.. This memorandum is for information only.
2. Commissioner Murray makes a strong plea for the production of small
nuclear weapons for use in limited warfare. He points out at the same time
dangers of a national policy based solely on the reliance of multimegaton
bombs and their deterrent value. Although I agz?ee that large yield weapons
are of little value in deterring limited aggression because of the fears of
mutual annihilation, I do not believe that the ~.ack of low yield weapons
has been a mayor factor in our failure to take strong military measures
in limited warfare situations. Our stockpile nc-w contains numbers of sma11
yield weapons which could have been used if a decision had been made to
~.nitiate atomic warfare on a limited scale. Until such a decision is made,
we will always be faced with having to use convE.ntional armaments which are
expensive and require larger forces than we are prepared to maintain.
~. Begin__niro on page 188, MC'. Murray dwells on the internal radiation
hazard frown strontium?90. While it is agreed that strontium-90 could
produce casualties on a world-wide basis in the event of a11?out thermo-
nuclear warfare in which many thousands of megatons were detonated, I
firmly believe that such casualties would be inconsequential i.n comparison
with the millions of deaths produced by the direct effects of these
explosions. The strontium-90 hazard must be kept in its proper perspective
and I believe Commissioner Murray has failed to do so in this case.
~+. Despite these comments, I believe you w317. find the article
interesting and worth reading.
: ?
Assistant Director
Scientific Intelligence
cc: DDCI
DD~I
DOE review completed.
Approved For Release 2009/01/30 :CIA-RDP80B01676R000700140038-1