Copy 1- I I of GBP Copies ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WASHINGTON 25 D C MANPOWER PERSONNEL AND RESERVE DEC 9 1959 Dear General Goodpaster As recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff there is attached a copy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Emergency Actions File o this title replacing the former War-Emergency Check List and Master Readiness File ' I 1he revised Emergency Actions File will become effective at O70001Z December 1959 An additional copy of this document was forwarded to you on 3 December 1959 for inclusion in the President's emergency actions pouch In consonance with the provisions of White House standby Executive Order FJ 1 unnumbered and in order to provide field commanders with the authority necessary to make available atomic weapons to NA'ro and to such other allies as may be programmed to use U S atomic weapons Emergency Message EM-5 has been drafted accordingly as shown in the attachment hereto As corollary actions Emergency Messages EM-3 and EM-4 have been revised With reference to the precedence and procedures now established for the emergency transfer of atomic weapons Automatic Message AM-1 has been revised to eliminate directing the transfer of custody of atomic weapons from the Atomic Energy Commission to the Department of Defense Supplementary Message SM-1 a message of lesser urgency ha s been drafted to accomplish the transfer of custody of the weapons in the general reserve The problem of how the Department of Defense may best accomplish its wartime responsibilities for obtaining certain base and operational rights in foreign countries as delineated in standby Executive Order El 1 unnumbered is still under study by the Department of Defense No specific provisions for conducting the required negotiations are included in the Emergency Actions File at the present time Two other substantive changes have been made in the Emergency Actions File which should be called to your attention or Auth REPRODUCTION OF THIS DOCUMENT IN ' HOLE OR IN PART IS PROHIBITED EX E T WITH P C ' J ISSION OF THE rsrnrnG Ol1FICE 4Qp g i By A - lf uJ 4l - ' 'ICU 2 013 - '2 38 M ODE Oat f SEC DEF CONT NO 7 - Copy_ _ _ _of J Copies of -' Pages Page 1 In accordance with the expressed desire of the President f arrangements have been ma de to bring the President into emergency tele- J- 1 phone conference with the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff upon declaration of a Defense Emergency or an Air Defense Emer gency 2 Supplementary Message SM-1 has been revised and replaced by Emergency Message n-1-6 This change permits consideration of the preparedness of NA'IO commanders to accept control of U S earmarked forces and assures that this important matter for decision will be brought to the early attention of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff Sincerely yours 8' f l Inclosure Cy 3 of JCS EAF Brigadier General A J Goodpaster Staff Secretary to the President The White House REPRODUCTION OF THIS DOC j f Zl T IN V HOLE OR IN PA C T IS P3OHIBITED EXCE T WITH 2 11ISS18ll Ol THE ISSUING Ol 'FI0E 2 This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu