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Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
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iJ?~~t w 19. Su~plemental Announcement on Weapons Developments at Operation s (In approving these minutes, the Commission requested thzt the transcript of this part of the meeting be used in li?u of this szction of the minutes as originally written. ) COMMISSIONER LIBBY: I have to discuss one point. It seemed tc me that our clean bomb announcement ran into some difficulties, Various”tempers “flared,and so on about It, I just wonder whether some form of new clean bomb announcement might not be wise when it is made in such z way that is clearly not controversial.
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do not go along with the clean bomb statement. But as I properly consulted in preparation. COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Both. CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: You don!t believe there is a clean COMMISSIONER lWJRRAY: That is a ridiculous statement. course I do. The way YC)LI put it out, there are tlio things was not consulted. The second was I woulclnlt-- COMMISS1ONER LIINIY: ‘WhatI would propose is that we o stotemeiltof fact nbout it out, to which we can a.1.lagre ~bou’cthe fact, so that this q~~estioningof the fact is stopped, I think that this is a matter of information to COMMISSIONER MURRLY: I thinlcit would be a good thiw CO}IMISS1ONLRLIBBY: I am sorry to say that I donlt l way, If one of us were Loing to make a speech, that might the way. I just clonrtknow exactly how it should be manag But I think some time before too long -- CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: I thinlcif it is to b? done, it sh be done promptly, COMMISSIONER MUPJ?llY:How da we sit down cnclconsult CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: :,lecertainly woqld not ;ake more t a day to consult on it. ~,lewill be her’dltomurucw. COMrJISSIONERMURRJ2Y: This is onc of these !hings on last hour, I have some time to think about it. Z am perf else wants to prepal’e, CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: ‘Yewill draw one and send ?.tto yo COMMISSIONER NJtJFU?i\Y:How soon do you want to !mJ{eth CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: Bill!s thought was that it Zmht
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CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: I think the amount of attention Lllathas been given to it, and th;estatements that have been made by was misleading, and that it \/asfal:;eought to be corrected at as early a date as we can do It. COMMISSIONER LIBBY: I vioulillike to have it corrected in a non-controversial fashion, without reference to it, just as a matter of getting the record straight, and making it clefr that there is no argument in the Commission on the fact, and Just generally make that completely clear. I think the soonel’the better. Maybe we could C1Oit if there were draft announcements circulated to us. If we Canft ?.gvee, we will leave it to COMMISSIONER MUP,PJY: I will be here for a while. I am not moving in a hurry tl]atYOU have to get it out tomorrow CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: Suppose the rest of us wish to (1~~it? COMMISSIONER MURRAY: Then you go ahead to do it, MI! I will have the same chance to comment that I was not consul{ed. CHAIRMAN STRLUSS: You will riotbe able to say YOU ~jpl’enot COMMISSIONER llURRAY: Yes, I will. CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: l’suprobably will. COMMISSIONER lflUilRf’LY:I was not consulted properly and given enouGh time to cor.siderthe situation. You bring this goinG to disband tornorrcw,and you want to get out a ne’,rstatement on a clean bomb thz.cis non-controvc?l’:jial. COMMISSIONER LIBBY: HO~~P.kOUt cir~uh.ting? could You draft CHLIRMAN STRALTSS: ‘!cs, that is an idea. COMDIISSIONEI?LIBBY: And c!irc~llateit. It is not classified, COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I would be willing to talce n chance CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: I will l!aithere until you finish .Lt COMMISS1OF$ERMURRtiY: No, I will not do it tomorrow.
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COMMISSIONER LIBBY: I will not be here tofilorro~l. CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: ‘lhenwill ue do it, when you come back? COMMISS1ONER LIBBY: How about circulating it in the mail? CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: It is ?.11right with me. Issuing or not issuing it is all right with me. This was YOLU’ suggestion, Bill I thought it was a good one. I donft car2. The misrepresentatio~ vill follow regardless of what v~e SaY. I would like to get it out because I thinlcthe rec~rcldoes need clarification, Iledid say that operational fc.ctorshad something to do with it, },fhicb.is :+ight,md that was seized upon as the whole secret of COMIIISSIONERIT.J3R}~Y:Bill suggests i,hatI try to draft one it right. I would li!{eto make this suggestion, which I already made to Dr. Libby. I think flfanother is coming Cllt on this subject that the best and most effective way to gc!;it out would be for Bill, who is Going to California) to go UP to Berkeley while he is out in Calif’orr?ia,and deliver a speech up there to some o~gimizc.tion. CCWUIISSIONERLIBBY: You flatte~ me. COMrlISSION!ZRIUINCE: And let it be a scientific p.’’olentation invitation to spedc at t!lemoment. I give a speecl~befol’ethe Chemical Scciety in Llerl:eleyon the lsth of August, I dontt CONMISSIONER LID13Y: Suppose we cmsider a press relea:~o COIIWIISSIONERMURRAY: All right , CONFTISSIGNERMURRAY: I thou~ht you were Going to let me have the benefit of mY opus. CHAIRMAN’STFAUSS: I didntt gay I would buy your draft, COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I appreciate that. Neither did I I will buy yours.
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lcnow you \,fonrt. I am quite convincedCHA17NAN STRLUSS: I Is this F.11tonight? HOW is it left? I &uess there are going to be two I Want to find out whether I am on public notice whether a statement flLs going to be made and when. CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: You are or]this public notice. 1 am by law the spokesman for tl:eCommission, COMMISSIONER MURRAY: That is right. CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: Tilis happens to be a matter which is in the open. I could go out five minutes from now and make a statement, if I wished to, and be completely in the clear, without consulting anyway, I dorif’cintend to do that. I never have. You had m opportunity ‘~~“Deconsl~ltedat the last one, yo1.1 ieft the meeting, COMMISSIONER MURRAY: I did not have an opportuility. CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: Let me finish. !Jesent for yo(l, CONMISSIONER MURRAY: you did not send for me. CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: l’hatis a direct lie, We sent L’1’you and neither you nor your messenGe~’returned to the meel-+..lg. CONMISSIONER FFJRRLY: You did not send :-orme. idea. It \]asnot a Commlcsion meeting, CHAIRMAN STRAUSS: Did you hear it or not? Mr. Murray should be here for the discussion. CHA17W7ANSTRAUSS: Let me finish my statement. Furthermore, you ]{l-~e~lthat ,2statement was to be mmle by the President on the subject. an executive sessicn in KOyoffice, That is a fact in i’rentQf a stack and the minutes show it.
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C01?MISSIONE13NURRtii’:Yo’.lread that statement Into the COMMISSIONER MURRAY: You then l>eportedback thot somebody, Sherman P,clamsor samebody, h?.cldetermined the statement should not COMMISSIONER NIURRf+Y:No indication ot all of what WO.S COMMISSIONER MURR[~Y: No. This was two days befor>, CHAIRIWJJSTRLUSS: ~~twhich I reported that it llQdbeen decided at the White Hou:c that tk.estatement was to be wade by COMMISSIONER MURR~lY: I dontt want to S2Y as usual, ‘outYOU 3re just turning this thlin~ around. I had no notice of it, and you mr.deno attempt to Eet in touch with me. You have 211 kinds C1lAIRMLNSTRAUSS: And wer.thome while we were still CH~iIRMINSTRAUSS: I wculd say thot was a dereliction 011 COMMISSIONER MURRf\Y: I dontt think It was at all. I still CIIAIRMANSTRLUSS: I am sure you do. He serves you well,