Evening star., 1946-03-23
Reckless Atomic Talk

Reckless Atomic Talk
It is an extraordinary thing, and
IN certain respects even a sinister
thing, that the so-called Vanden-
berg amendment to the Mcmahon
bill on atomic energy has stirred up
storm of criticism whose main
effect, accidentally or otherwise, is
to make it seem that the Army and
Navy are bent on some kind of con-
spiracy to harness the atom to their
own ends and thus raise the poten-.
tiality Of military fascism in America.
First lifted to prominence by Sec
retary Wallace, this specter has since
been paraded for all it is worth
which is very little-in many quar-
ters in and out of Congress. The
other day. for example, an organiza-
tion known as the Emergency Con-
ference for Civilian Control of At
omic Energy staged mass meeting
in this city to protest militantly
against the Vandenberg amendment
as Something that would stifle the
peacetime development of the tre-
mendous power of the atom and
place this revolutionary field of
science at the mercy of the military.
Not the least battling aspect of such
criticism is that it has been voiced
by men and organizations who should
know better fact which casts
doubt on whether they have studied
the nature of the problem involved
or whether they have even bothered
to acquaint themselves with what
Senator Vandenberg has actually
proposed.
The Vandenberg amendment,
which the special Senate atomic
committee has approved by vote
of 10 to 1. provides merely for the
creation of military liaison group
to be appointed by the President as
a kind of adjunct to an all-civilian
atomic control commission. 1t would
have no vote on the commission. 1t
would have no power to veto an act
or decision of the commission. 1t
would have only the right to be kept
fully informed of the commissions
proceedings and to appeal to the
President when it disagreed on mat
terS relating to national security.
Under the original Mcmahon bill,
which has since been modified, there
would have been no such arrange
ment; instead, the Army and Navy
would have had little or nothing to
say, even as observers, in the devel-
opment of power whose present
significance is primarily that of a
weapon and hence the proper busi-
ness of those responsible for the
safety of the Nation.
From the standpoint of adminis-
trative efficiency, the liaison device
may have shortcomings. and it could
conceivably put some impediments
in the way of free exchange of
scientific ideas on a matter which no
amount of restrictions can preserve
indefinitely as an exclusive Anglo
Canadian American secret. But as
long as atomic energy is chiefly of
military significance, as long as
there is no effective international
control OF it and as long as the peace
is uncertain, logic, common sense and
decent regard for national security
demand that we have machinery of
the sort Senator Vandenberg would
provide. 1t must be emphasized,
moreover, that such machinery would
not place control of the atom in the
hands of the military. To say that
it would, to imply that the, armed
forces want it for some dark militia
ristic or fascist reasons, is not only to
distort and misrepresent the truth,
but also to impugn the honor and
patriotism Of an Army and Navy
whose dedication to American ideals
was heroically confirmed in blood
and flame in the war just ended.
Criticism Of the kind we have
lately been hearing initiates against
the calm and thoughtful debate we
must have if the enormously COM
plex atomic problem is to be properly
handled. More than that, where it
is not merely ill-informed, emotional
or irresponsible. it can only be re-
garded as being deliberately mis-
chievous and sinister to the extent
that it may well be, as Senator Ball
has just suggested, party-line prop
aganda designed Ito make America
so weak and impotent that we shall
have no alternative but to appease
any aggressor." The American people
would do well to be mentally on
guard against it.