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Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-100-003
Sound recording of a meeting that seems to be held on July 24, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Under Secretary of State George Ball, Ambassador at Large Llewellyn Thompson, Director of United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) William Foster, Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs U. Alexis Johnson, Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) Edward R. Murrow, Benjamin Read, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, and Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (NSC) Bromley Smith. This meeting is mostly a continuation on of the previous day’s staff discussion on the language of instructions to Under Secretary of State W. Averell Harriman, the language of the treaty banning atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, later known as the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) or the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT), and the note on the treaty, as well as the wording of a speech by President Kennedy. Shortly after the meeting begins President Kennedy leaves to call former President Harry S. Truman to discuss the Test Ban Treaty and does not return for the remainder of the meeting. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 100, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding this one. See Related Records to access Tape 100 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-100-002
Sound recording of a meeting held on July 23, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Under Secretary of State George Ball, Ambassador at Large Llewellyn Thompson, Director of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency William Foster, John McCloy, Special Counsel to the President Theodore Sorensen, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, and Executive Secretary of the National Security Council Bromley Smith. They discuss instructions for Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman concerning the treaty banning atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, later known as the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) or the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT). The staff group had reworked the instructions to Under Secretary Harriman and to Charles Bohlen in France. There is also a long discussion about Article 1 and how the nuclear test ban would not and could not limit a country from defending itself with nuclear weapons in a time of war. Also, there is discussion on the Congressional Delegation and the Test Ban Treaty. (Please note that President Kennedy leaves the meeting after 15 minutes and does not return for the remainder of the meeting. According to the White House Appointment Books, he left to attend the Congressional Social Hour.) After this meeting there is a short break in the tape, followed by a brief discussion between President Kennedy, Secretary Rusk, McGeorge Bundy, and others. They discuss issues concerning the proposed test ban treaty. Two segments of the recording totaling 51 seconds have been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 12958. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 100, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 100 in its entirety.