Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-10

- StOaUStss
or, for that matter, of horrify-
ing the Russian people. He
wanted to tell the world of the
awful consequences of nuclear
warfare. but he did not want to
leave the matter at that dead
end. The problem was weighing
on his mind when he went to
Denver on August 8, and out
there an idea began to take root.
When he made his quick trip
back to Washington on Septem-
Der 10 for Chief Justice Wilson's
funeral, he passed the idea on to
Robert Cutler, his special assist
ant in charge of national Sc
curity affairs, for consideration
by Operation Candor.
Suppose" Mr.. Cutler wrote
lin a memorandum relaying the
idea to Mr.. Strauss. ''the United
States and the Soviets were
each to turn over to the United
Nations for peaceful uses x kilo-
grams Of fashionable material >"
Mr.. Strauss telephoned C. D.
jackson, presidential special as
sistant on psychological strategy.
and said, II think we have a way
ito work this out"-meaning to
lift the Candor speech from hor-
Iror into the realm of hope. BY
this time. Operation Candor had
pretty well run out of steam.
On october 3, all the highest
officials met with the President
at breakfast. At that meal, OPP
Grafton Candor went out the
window and was replaced with
a new project called Operation
Wheaties. a name inspired by
its breakfast origin. The project
now was to translate the Presi-
dents idea into a safe and prac-
tical plan and to revise the old
Candor speech to put the pro-
posal into words that would be
lintelligible and appealing to the
people Of the world.
Prepares 6-Page Memo
Mr.. Strauss prepared the
groundwork in a six-page memo
randum. This assumed, first.
that ANY agreement with the
Soviets would be presently un-
enforceable by any known
means" and went on to show
that nevertheless concrete ad-
Ivantages from an uneasy peace
can be bridgeheads that may be
fortified and widened with the
passage of time"
The Strauss memorandum set
forth formula for negotiation
with Russia based on a situation
which assigns almost equal
probability to the likelihood
either that:
I'D Russia plans to attack
us when she has reached some
predetermined point in her ar
mament; or (2) that Russia is
following the Stain policy OF
adventurous absorption of pieces
of geography while awaiting our
economic collapse; or 80 that
Russia actually fears attack by
us; or "a that Russia is sub
stantially planless and that, like
her attack on Finland and the
Berlin Blockade, her future ac-
tons will be similar improvisa-
tons; or go any combination of
these"
Draft Finished Over Atlantic
From this memorandum and
its notifications were derived
10 drafts for a speech. and final
ly the 18th and last draft, which
was finished while the Column
bine was flying over the Atlantic.
This set forth one of the most
constructive, original end ap-
'pealing plans that the, President
has offered: A plan for an in
ternational pool Of uranium and
fashionable materials for peace-
full use.
THE United States knows"
Mr.. Eisenhower told the q. N.
General Assembly. that If the
fearful trend of atomic military
buildup can be reversed, this
greatest of destructive forces
can be developed into a great
boon for the benefit Of all man.
kind. I therefore make the
following proposal:
1.-THE governments principally
involved, to the extent permitted
by elementary prudence, to begin
now and continue to make Joint