Evening star., 1945-11-13
A Strange Performance

reported proposal from Prime Min
lister Attlee for disposing of atomic
energy secrets is that the report is
unoff1cial-the handiwork Of one of
those authoritative sources" with
an almost limitless capacity for
mischief.
MIR. Attlee's proposal was put be-
fore President Truman at their
meeting Sunday. Presumably it was
tentative in nature, and therefore
legitimately confidential if secrecy
was deemed advisable. But someone
having access to the secret discus
sions felt that little backdoor
publicity would be helpful, and as
a result a thoroughly fantastic
kitten has emerged from the bag.
Since the published accounts OF
what Mr.. Attlee is supposed to have
said are not entirely in agreement,
and since at best the information
was obtained at second hand from
So-called authoritative source, the
proposal attributed to him deserves
to be approached with caution. On
the basis of the printed reports,
however, he made these main
points: ID The suggestion for a
system of formal international in
spection to keep watch on atomic
energy development in all countries
is impracticable since it would in
volve the efforts of thousands of
top flight scientists. (2) That the
United States, Britain and Canada
should agree to share all information
on atomic energy with the members
of the UNO Security Council, and
that all future scientific discoveries
be shared by members of the United
Nations. 90 Before this agreement
is put into effect Russia should be
required to make a definite state
ment of her additional political,
territorial and economic desires. II
these desires are acceptable, and If
accompanied by Russian pledge to
subscribe wholeheartedly to the
UNO, the agreement for divulging
secret information would be carried
into effect. If Russia should refuse
to make the desired commitment,
then the three western nations
would keep their secrets.
Merely to state these alleged
propositions is to raise serious doubt
that any responsible statesman
would advance them. They are, on
their face, gratuitouS affront to
the Soviet Union. In addition to
that they are absurd. For example,
Russia already has subscribed to the
UNo. If her good faith in that is
doubted, what purpose would be
served by calling for pledge to
subscribe Fundamentally to the Or
ganiaztion? At best, 1t would merely
serve to insult the Russians without
adding in the slightest degree to the
effectiveness of the UNO.
Surely the Prime Minister and the
President are not going to stray off
into any such Alice in Wonderland
diplomacy as is implied in Mr..
Attlee's alleged proposal. 1t is re-
grettable that the published version,
if untrue, has not been denied. Per-
haps there were sound reasons, how
ever, why that could not be done.
But there are some things that can
be done. One is to plug up the
authoritative source" which already
has done so much damage. Another
is to discard ~any preconceived no.
tions that it is impracticable to work
out a system of international in
spection which would permit the
sharing of all atomic information.
Since this is the only way in which
there can be any security for any
one in the years to come, it is
possibility which must be pursued
with hope and determinations
least to the point where actual ex-
perience has shown that it is not
feasible.