Weapon of Mass Destruction (16 Nov. 1945)

[Dave Wilton]

>    NEW YORK TIMES full text shows two "weapons of mass
> destruction" hits on 16 November 1945, page 16:
>
> But the agreement goes as far as is possible in the present
> state of the world to avert the further use of atomic bombs
> and similar weapons of mass destruction, and to release
> atomic energy for peaceful and humanitarian purposes.
>
> The commission should proceed in four steps:...third, to draw
> up a protocal by which all nations will agree to eliminate
> the atomic bomb and other weapons of mass destruction from
> their armament for all time...

Thanks, Barry.

This is a reference to the "Truman-Attlee-King" declarations of the day
before (15 Nov 45).

The declaration on the Atomic Bomb reads, in part, "For the elimination from
national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other major weapons
adaptable to mass destruction".

There is a second declaration on Atomic Energy. Barry's second quote appears
to be a mistaken reporting of this second declaration. "In particular, the
Commission should make specific proposals: [...] (c) For the elimination
from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other major weapons
adaptable to mass destruction".

Full texts can be found at
http://www.nuclearfiles.org/docs/1945/451115-aec-declaration.html and
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/trumanpapers/pppus/1945/191.htm

So unless antedated, it appears that the term "weapons of mass destruction"
is the result of the NY Times misquoting the president. Why am I not
surprised?