Page 4 from Truman. Papers of Harry S Truman. President's Secretary's Files. Box 177
Description
In a letter dated January 31, 1950, President Harry Truman addresses Mr. David Lilienthal, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. Truman informs Lilienthal that, after careful consideration of the report from the Special Committee of the National Security Council, he has directed the Atomic Energy Commission to assess the technical feasibility of a thermonuclear weapon. The scale and pace of the effort will be determined jointly by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense. Truman also states his decision to publicly announce the government's intention to continue working on the development of a thermonuclear weapon. Furthermore, he explicitly requests that no further official information about this project be released without his approval. Copies of the letter are sent to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense for their awareness.