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NND 968063

                                              May 29, 1963


              MEMORANDUM FOR DR. WELSH

              Subject:      Conference with Frutkin - - Fragments

              I saw Frutkin (and his assistant Marvin Robinson) for more than
              an hour in his office on May 28. It was necessary to review the
              background and course of the meetings held last year because he
              was away at the time and now is very negative on the project.

              Frutkin seems to feel that:

                  1.     No public announcement is now needed;

                  2. An Executive Order or statement from the White House
              would scare people needlessly;

                   3. The problem is overseas and State woul d like to be able
              to point to NASA as the U. S . responsible agency (without a scary
              public announcement);

                   4. DOD and AF want to use NASA for a "cover" but have no
              intention of letting NASA do anything but return some pieces;

                   5. CIA and NASA get along fine and can do so in the future
              on this matter;

                  6. NASA should wait to see what the USIB settles on (and
              would like to have us pass Frutkin' s comments on the DOD
              paper to AEC (at staff levels for information); and

                   7. Although NASA was drafting legislation, they (legal?)
              would oppose sending anything up to Congress in the foreseeable
              future because of the harmful debate it would touch off.




                                            ~~ R. W . Hal e