Letter to Carl T. Durham, Chairman, Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, on Proposed Agreement With Australia.

Dear Mr. Durham:

Pursuant to Section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, I hereby submit to the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy a proposed agreement between the Governments of the United States and Australia for cooperation regarding communication of atomic information for mutual defense purposes under Section 144 b of the Act.

Under the terms of the proposed agreement, the United States may exchange with Australia, so long as Australia pursuant to an international arrangement continues to make substantial and material contributions to the mutual defense effort, atomic information which the United States considers necessary to

(1) the development of defense plans;

(2) the training of personnel in the employment of and defense against atomic weapons; and

(3) the evaluation of the capabilities of potential enemies in the employment of atomic weapons.

Australia will make atomic information available to the United States on the same basis.

Atomic information made available pursuant to the proposed agreement will not be transferred to unauthorized persons, or beyond the jurisdiction of the recipient government except where that information is to be communicated to another nation or regional organization which has already been given the same information under an agreement similar to this and then only to the extent such transfer is specifically authorized by the originating government.

Transfers of atomic information by the United States under the proposed agreement will be made only in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and will be safeguarded by the stringent security arrangements in effect between the United States and Australia when this agreement comes into force.

The agreement will remain in effect until terminated by agreement between the two governments, but the actual exchange of atomic information is entirely discretionary.

The Department of Defense has strongly recommended approval of this agreement. It is my firm conviction that through the cooperative measures foreseen in this agreement we will have aided materially not only in strengthening our own defenses but also those of our Australian ally and will thereby contribute greatly to the mutual defense efforts which are of such vital importance to the maintenance of our common freedom.

Accordingly, I hereby determine that the performance of this proposed agreement will promote and will not constitute an unreasonable risk to the common defense and security, and approve this agreement. In addition, I hereby authorize, subject to the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the Secretary of State to execute the proposed agreement and the Department of Defense, with the assistance of the Atomic Energy Commission, to cooperate with Australia and to communicate Restricted Data to Australia under the agreement.

Sincerely,

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER