Letter to the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy on the Proposed Agreement for Cooperation with NATO on Atomic Information.

Dear Senator Anderson:

Pursuant to Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, I hereby submit to the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy a proposed agreement for cooperation regarding the communication of atomic information to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, the United States will communicate to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, so long as that Organization continues to make substantial and material contributions to the mutual defense effort, atomic information which the United States considers as necessary to

(1) the development of defense plans;

(2) the training of personnel in the employment of and defense against atomic weapons; and

(3) the evaluation of the capabilities of potential enemies in employment of atomic weapons.

Other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization agree to make atomic information available to the Organization on a similar basis.

Atomic information made available pursuant to the proposed agreement will not be transferred to unauthorized persons or beyond the jurisdiction of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and will be safeguarded by the stringent security regulations in force within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Under the terms of the proposed agreement, which will remain in force for the duration of the North Atlantic Treaty, transfers of atomic information by the United States will only be made in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.

The North Atlantic Council strongly endorsed the proposed agreement, and I consider it to be a great stride forward in the strengthening of our common defense. It is my firm conviction that the proposed agreement will enable the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, consistent with the security and defense of the United States, to evolve more effective defense plans concerning the use of atomic weapons than have heretofore been achieved. Accordingly, I hereby determine that its performance will promote and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to the common defense and security, and approve the proposed agreement for cooperation. In addition, I hereby authorize, subject to the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the Honorable George W. Perkins, United States Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council, to execute the proposed agreement and the Department of Defense, with the assistance of the Atomic Energy Commission, to cooperate with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and to communicate Restricted Data to that Organization under the agreement.

Sincerely,

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER