REVIEW Approved For Release 200 - 2 9 ctober 19 64 IVIEMORANDUM FOR Mr Kirkpatrick 1 Dr Jerry Johnson formerly Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Atomic Affairs and now serving on the Roddis Panel came in to see me to express deep concern over the imminence of a substantial Chinese nuclear capability and a delivery capability Johnson was a member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Panel that is sued a report on Chinese nuclear capability which CIA and for that matter the Intelligence Community disagrees with 2 Johnson also said that he felt the Chinese had a rather immediate thousand mile range missile capability built around the 55-4 which could deliver a 3 000 lb nuclear warhead 3 Additionally he said the Chinese Communists had demonstrated they could new build a 3 000 lb nuclear warhead 4 I would like all of these matters explored I think the Air Force report which Johnson was a party to overstates the ChiCom situation I also feel there is no evidence to support his position that a missile delivery capability is imminent I told Johnson rather emphatically that I thought he had been been taken in by some Pentagon parochial views and because of his stature in the Government and with the Livermore Laboratories he should take a very careful look at this 5 Will you please discuss this with Smith Wheelon 051 and others and be prepared to talk With me on it later in the day or Friday morning #6 JOHN A Director Dictated but not read Approved For Release 2003102127 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