166 | ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1946: 
either Ottawa or Vancouver. Canada will accordingly be the home 
ground of the combined armies, the home waters of the combined 
navies, and in its vast territories will be dispersed the atomic weapons 
of the member nations ready for use in case of emergency. 
As thus envisaged, the military strength of the Commission would 
be so great as to make hopeless the effort of any individual nation or 
group of nations to challenge its power. At first all of the strength 
in atomic weapons would be contributed by the United States. The 
other member nations would, however, contribute armies and planes 
and guns according to their proportionate share. 
When the agreement is reached to the satisfaction of the member 
nations, the “know-how” for producing atomic weapons would be 
passed on to the Commission which these nations entrust with their 
united military power. From then on there would be no reason why 
atomic bombs should be made by any other group, here or in any other 
country. Nor is there any reason why until such an agreement is 
reached the technical secrets of atomic weapons should be released 
from the countries that now have them. 
The far-reaching agreement here suggested is perhaps one that can- 
not be attained at one step. Time will be required to make the needed 
readjustments of our thinking. But the terrible threat of atomic war 
which Mr. Oppenheimer described so graphically this morning is 
upon us, and makes it necessary for us to make these readjustments 
before time runs out. 
In the exploitation of the peacetime uses of atomic energy each na- 
tion will need to give suitable assurance to the others that its own 
control of its atomic industry is such as to prevent the malevolent 
development of weapons by any group within its borders. It is essen- 
tial that such assurance include provision for the inspection to any 
extent that may be necessary by representatives of the international 
Commission. 
We are thus proposing that international wars be outlawed and 
that responsibility for preventing wars be placed in an international 
Military Commission that will act under the direction of the Security 
Council of the United Nations Organization. This Military Commis- 
sion, with its headquarters perhaps in Canada, will monopolize the 
armed forces of the nations that enter the agreement, except those 
needed for internal policing. Under its supervision atomic weapons 
will be produced solely for its own use. The member nations will 
undertake to prevent the illicit production of fissionable materials 
within their own boundaries, and this will be supported by permitting 
complete inspection of their activities by agents of the Military Com- 
mission. 
