TOP SECRET - - DEPARTMENT OF STATE ASSISTANT SECRETARY DEPAP·u ff NT 0 Slt T 1954 MAI 26 N 1 10 I 9 May 25 1954 OFFIC C OF DI REc ·1OR MEMORANDUM SI p TO FROM S P - Mr Bowie EUR - Mr Merchant During the course of a call by Sir Roger on the Secretary on another subject the question of a possible moratorium on H- bomb experiments apparently came up I came in at the tail end of the conversation and consequently do not know its entire purport You may wish to ask the Secretary concerning its content What I learned was that the Secretary was Jr now dubious as to the wisdom of a moratorium on the grounds that it might handicap · us in the missile field that it might further impair the spirit of enterprise on the part of our scientists by placing artificial limits on their experimentati_o n and in addition might boomerang from a propaganda point of view Sir Roger said that London was now aware of the possibility of a propaganda boomerang 1 cc SA E - Mr Smith G S S ' ✓ EUR LTMerchant mls TOP SECRET ··· DECLASSIFIED 1 l eO 5 LJ Authority N_ND Q P SECRET DEPARTMENT OF STATE ASSISTANT S ECRETARY DEP P Ti''iF NT Of STt TE 1954 MAI 26 M 10 I 9 May 25 1954 OFFIC E OF OIRE c·1OR MEMORANDUM S p TO SIP - Mr Bowie FROM EUR - Mr Merchant During the course of a call by Sir Roger on the Secretary on another subject the question of a possible moratorium on H-bomb experiments apparently came up I came in at the tail end of the conversation and consequently do not know its entire purport You may wish to ask the Secretary concerning its content What I learned was that the Secretary was r now dubious as to the wisdom of a moratorium on the grounds that it might handicap · us in the missile field that it might further impair the spirit of enterprise on the part of our scientists by placing artificial limits on their experimentati_o n and in addition might boomerang from a propaganda point of view Sir Roger said that London was now aware of the possibility of a propaganda boomerang 1 cc SA E - Mr Smith G S S ✓ EUR LTMerchant mls IQ SECRET --- DECLASSIFIED Aulhorityt l D 1 Jteo l' ' ' f I I Q E SECRET DEPARTMENT OF STATE ASSISTANT SECRETARY Dc P f-' Ti'· F_ NT Of Sl 17 E 1954 tvlAi 26 PJ 10 I 9 May 25 1954 OFF ICE OF DI REc·1OR MEMORANDUM S p TO FROM S P Mr Bowie EUR - Mr Merchant During the course of a call by Sir Roger on the Secretary on another subject the question of a possible moratorium on H-bomb experiments apparently came up I came in at the tail end of the conversation and consequently do not know its entire purport You may wish to ask the Secretary concerning its content What I learned was that the Secretary was r now dubious as to the wisdom of a moratorium on the grounds that it might handicap · us in the missile field that it might further impair the spirit of enterprise on the part of our scientists by placing artificial limits on their experimentation and in addition might boomerang from a propaganda point of view Sir Roger said that London was now aware of the possibility of a propaganda boomerang 1 cc SA E - Mr Smith G SIS ✓ EUR LTMerchant mls TOP SECRET ---- DECLASSIFIED 1AuthorityNMDf l eOl ' j I