Copy ot f Copies ac e_ _ ___ o f --' ----Pll es • ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WASHINGTON ZS D C MANPOWER PERSON 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 ta ff Emergency ctions File this title replacing the former War-Emergency Check List and Master Readiness File 'Ihe revised Emergency ctions File will become ef fective at 070001Z December 1 959 An additional copy of this document w s 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 nEJ 1 uonumbered and in order to provide field commanders with the authority necessary to make availabJ e atomic weapons to and to such other allies as may be programmed to use U S atomic weapons Emergency Message EM-5 bas been draf'ted accordingly as shown in the attachment hereto s corollary actions Emergency Messages -3 and EM-4 have been reVised ith reference to the precedence and procedures now established for the emergency transfer of atomic weapons Automatic Messa e -l bas been revised to eliminate directing the transfer of custody of atom tc weapons from the tomic Energy Commission to the Department of Defense Su lementa ry Message M-1 a message of lesser urgency has been drafted to accomplish the transfer of custody of the weapons in the general reserve The problem of' how the Department of Defense may beat accomplish its wartime responsibilities for obtaining certain base and operational rights in foreign countries as delineated in standby Executive Order El 1 unnmnbered is still under study by the Department of Defense No specific provisions for conducting the required negotiations are inc in the Emergency ctions File at the present time other substantive changes have been made in the Emergency Actions File which should be called to your attention 1i 1 D Authority REPRODUCTION OF THIS DOCill mNT IN WHOLE OR IN PART IS PROHIBITED lf 'ZOl3 '2 3S M By J _ _ NLODE Date EX E T WITH P MISSIQ_ OF THE I SUING FFICE D NT No _7af- Copy l OP SEOfff Page of L Copies 2 of t Pages I l In accord a nee with the expressed desire of the President I arrangements have been ma de to bring the President into emergency tele- 1 phone conference with the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Sta ff upon declaration of a Defense Emergency or an Air Defense Emer gency 2 supplementary Message SM-l has been revised and replaced by Em ergency Message J M-6 This change permits consideration of the preparedness of NA'ro 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 f' ± Inclosure Cy 3 of JCS EAF Brigadier General A J Goodpaster Sta ff Secretary to the Pr esident The White House REPRODUCTION OF THIS DOCUM-Zl-T lN V HOLE OR HI PA rr IS P OHIB TED EXCE T WI m 72 i MISSinll Ol THE I SSUING OFFI E 2 JOP SECSFI NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE 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