Interview with Roger Sherfield, 1986 [3]

Lord Roger Sherfield (Roger Makins) spent most of his career in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, serving as Ambassador to the United States from 1953-1956. He was Chairman of UK Atomic Energy Commission from 1960-1964. In this second interview, he begins with memories of the period of the Atoms for Peace speech and the creation of the International Atomic Energy Agency, including Britain’s role in assisting other countries – India in particular – with their programs. He specifically recalls the “upbeat” mood at the inauguration of the Trombay reactor in 1954, then discusses nuclear questions in the Third World more broadly. The interview ends with a detailed recollection of the uproar in Britain over President Truman’s implication that nuclear weapons might be used in Korea; the issue was resolved only after the president and Prime Minister Attlee were able to discuss the issue in private.