RELEASE 25 1949 STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT I believe the American people to the fullest extent consistent with national secuni y are entitled to be informed of all developments in the field of atomic energy That is my reason for making public the following information we 1 explosion occurred in tbgm i nsa rw_i Ever since atomic energy was first released by man the eventual development of this new force by other nations was to be QEPBSEEQK This probability has always been taken into account by us a Nearly four years ago I pointed out that Scientific opinion appears to be practically unanimous that the essential theoretical knowledge upon which the discovery is based is already widely known There is also substantial agreement that foreign research can come abreast of our present theoretical knowledge in time And in the Three-Nation Declaration of the President of the United States and the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and of Canada dated November 15 1945 'it was emphasized that no single nation could in fact have a monopoly of atomic weapons This recent development emphasizes once again if indeed such emphasis were needed the necessity for that truly effective enforceable international control of atomic energy which this Government and the large majority of the members of the United Nations support Wm 9 We WM WW Luz J of dye m a fc ass-aux15- - - I- An I a 1 - 7 1 Had- I uni - II 13-2 112-4 1 32 - - nah- 1 - Lmr DEIFJ- ih r ii r 'ac-ra- 1- arranging-7 1 7119 drag n-3 uq o I- ruq n ca -- Hh u mm mn a u Document 16A TRANSCRIPTION PAGE 1 Text of announcement Elsey comment This was so well kept a secret that I knew nothing of it until the announcement was made at 11 a m this date PAGE 2 Notes on Interviews with the President PAGE 3 Struck-through text 28th August Souers reported that naval aviation had dis unusual particles of plutonium in air off Kamchatka Peninsula About one week later Steve Early asked about dust storm at cabinet meeting End of strike-through About 10 days ago Johnson Bradley Early Souers came to Blair House about 3 00pm told Pres particles had been picked up in Canada Scotland Scientists who analyzed sure of atomic explosion British Canadian in town were informed Military wanted instant release PAGE 4 British had told us 18th Sept they wanted to devalue the GBP Pres held it up 2 shocks too much Pres held it up because he wanted to be sure AEC wanted to tell Joint Committee - Pres vetoed - it was a military defense matter After Cripps announced on 18th GBP and the flurry settled down HST decided OK Thurs - HST sent for McMahon Hickenlooper He told McMahon told him to tell Committee Fri - HST told Cabinet - only Acheson Johnson had been in on it although Snyder had been told PAGE 5 Repeated Text Snyder had been told Cabinet discussion agreed on immediate release at 11 00 N S C did not take it up C I A coordinated all info reported them thru Souers Early Webb thoroughly informed o all steps This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu