Press Release, Subject: Facts Released on the Series of Atomic Weapons Tests Recently Completed at the Aec's Enewetak Proving Ground

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~~ilitarylJiaisonCommittee, I would like to ~~elcolile you to this press conference. The purpose of the confereilceis to ~ive you all of the facts that can be released at this time on the series of atomic weapons tests i“ecentlycompleted at the AECIS Ihiwetok provinG Ground. Here to give you these factc are Lt. Gen. Elwood R. Queoada~ of the U.S. Air Force, who commanded the task force that conducted the test program for us; Dr. Alvin C. Graves, of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, who was in charge of the experiu]entalactivities of the task force, and various members of their staffs. Before we get into the main part of the conference, ?IoweverjI woulcl like to take just a few l,~omentsto say on bel.alfof the P.ECthat we deeply appreciate the fine cooperation given us in this test program by the Defense I)epartment,and particularly by General Q,uesadnand.the rililitzrypeople 01 have been pcssible. Joint Task Force 3 was set up back in 1949 to carry out these tests because the scope of the program req,uiredthe assistance and active Participation of all of the armed services. The task force provided the command structure and security tor the tests, the means f’oran overseas movement to a base 4500 miles from ‘(hemainland, and an or~anization in which the could function. The rcuult, under General Quesada’s capable leadership, has been a combined operabion by nilitary and civilian personnel that is o n credit to all who participated,

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1 would also like tG ex.ten~the appreciation of the all those in the AEC prc~ra.:1who participated in tl.etests and the work that led up to them. In particlllar,I would like to u,entiollI)r,Norris E. after the 1948 tests laid down Lhe requirements for the tests we have just coLlpleted; Dr. Graves whose ouixtanding eoutributiou at Eniwetok is amply demonstratedby tlie snccess of the te~t pro[jr,am; and z1l of thtisetalented and dedicated people at Lotsfhrws, of who;e excell.cnt research and deve3.0~~- There is me more tiir;gi would like to say, and that is tl~atin the reports you will hear today there will be reference: to the words “tl~erl:loreports are stililulatedthat we either have a iq’drc~en“bomb,have tested a hyc~.ro~enbomb, or are cn the verse of producinz a l@.ro~en bomb. In fairness to the .Americailpeople, I thiiiiI shobld call your at-k,elltiollto the fact that ueither the AI12nor tilei)cpartmen’~of Defense ha~ said any of these We feel we have a respomibility to tk public to report as luci.il~y and as completely as we can on this sUbjec4:of hyc?ro[:enborllbsand still stay within the bounds of security. We have tried tcjd.c!+.Aic. We have said that we are working on the dc~relopmentof a hyd::o~enbo~~~,in furtherance of the President’s directive to do so, ar.dwe have said t,he:;emost recent tests Our precise rate of pre[yeos ewd the status of tinepro[;ramwe have no-tgiven out and we feel The same thinfl, I am Sure, will be true of tile L“C~Oi”tS more than we have said. you will hear today.