Evening star., 1945-10-23

A44o U4ACA4 t4CWc h1lOWll W
OF the House and Senate.
Examination of the bill may re-
veal the causes for their concern.
The bill provides that:
The President shall name, with
the Senate's approval, nine COM
missioners, each to serve nine years.
The President can remove commits
sioners for inability to act, neglect
Of duty, malfeasance in Office, or
conflict of interests, or because con-
tinuance of the member in Office
would be inimical to the national
defense" They cannot otherwise be
removed. They will receive $50 a
day for attending quarterly meet
tngs and be free to engage in other
occupations.
The commission will appoint a
$4,000 full-time administrator and
$4,000 deputy administrator, who,
generally speaking, can exercise all
the powers of the commission.
Exclusive Jurisdiction.
The commission will have COM
plete and exclusive jurisdiction over
all sources of atomic energy and
over all research in this field. (The
only exception to this is that the
armed forces in time of war or
national emergency shall be free to
conduct research and to use atomic
power) The commissions jurisdic-
ton is not limited to matters af-
fecting national security, but ex-
tends to industrial development and
use. However, "the activities of the
commission shall be carried on in
accordance with the basic princi-
pies established by the President in
the promotion of international
peace, the development of foreign
policy, and the safeguarding of the
national defense" The commission
is admonished also not to interfere
more than is necessary with private
research and enterprise and not to
further the growth of monopolies.
The President cannot remove the
administrator. The commission can.
The commission will have custody
and control over all Government
stocks of ores, all Government lands
containing such ores and all Gov
ernment plants and processes. The
commission can buy or condemn all
privately owned property of the
same kind, as well as technical in
formation and patents, which it
may consider related to its duties.
The administrator may conduct
research and experimentation and
proceed with the development of
processes for use of atomic energy
for military, industrial, scientific or
medical purposes. In this connec-
ton he may license any property
available to him to any person for
exploitation or use on any terms he
deems advisable-without regard to
any statute. In the case of a for
eign citizen or government, such
license must be approved by the
President.
Broadly speaking no private re-
search or development in atomic
energy can be carried on without
the administrators consent.
Penalties for Violation.
The commission is directed to
promulgate regulations covering any
one doing any work at all in con-
nection with atomic power. The
regulations need not be made pub
lie, but the penalties for violation
are. The penalties range from $500
fine and imprisonment of not more
than 80 days for small and inno-
cent violation, up to 100000 fine
and 10 years imprisonment for will
full violation or gross negligence. For
dealing with an enemy, the penalty
is 100000 and imprisonment up to
80 years. Most violations relate to
transmitting information.
This summarizes the bill, but does