The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-04-09
Atomic Policy
BY ARTHUR KROCK

turn and hold atomic energy to peaceful uses
greatly encourage the hope that foundation
is in sight on which a sound national and
global policy can be placed firmly and endur
ing1y. The Vandenberg amendment to the bill
proposed by senate 1cl anon 9aS been
redrafted to the proclaimed satisfaction of
those who favored and opposed it. And Mr..
B. NJ Baruch has resolved his doubts against
taking the Presidents appointment to be the
spokesman Of our national policy in the United
Nations.
Close study of the redraft by Senator
Vandenberg makes it even more difficult to
understand what was the fundamental objec-
ton to the original draft of those who at
tackled this so excitedly and now accept the
substitute. 1t is true that unlike the first
amendment, Mr.. VenSerborgs ~ language
requires committee Of m. arv I7en, set up
as a horizontal liaison between the armed
services and the proposed atomic commission
to lodge with the Secretaries of War and Navy
their suggestions and objections, if any, to the
commissions activities. 1t is also true that
if these rabinet members are not impressed
with the representations of the iaison COM
nittee, they need not transmit them to the
President for decision as to whether the COM
missions work should be modified as outlined.
But in another particular the new amendment
gives 10 the armed services more definite
voice than did the original on the subjects in
which they are especially interested.
Their deputies who will make up the iason
committee may not make their appeals direct
to the President, as previously provided But
they are to be chosen by the very Cabinet
members to whom they will report on the
work of the commission as 1t affects military
matters. And it is not likely that the appoin-
tive power will fail to lay before the President
any serious protest, comment or suggestion
made by its own choeen instrument which
may well be the group just named as perma-
nent five.star and four-star officers.
The committee is empowered to base these
reports ION all atomic energy matters which
the committee deems to relate to military
applications And to assure that these appli-
cations shall have a range as broad as the
Army and Navy ever contemplated when they
opposed their total exclusion from both action
and counsel, as effected in the Mcmahon bill,
the draft proceeds to define these specifically
as Including the development, manufa cture,
use and storage of bombs, the alocation OF
fashionable material for military research, and
the control of information relating to the
manufacture or utilization Of atomic wea
pons." Both commission and committee are
further instructed to keep each other fully in
formed on all activities in this wide and plainly
marked area.
The Secretaries of War and Navy and the
voice and contact than this. The military
means by which to assure national security is
their sworn and lawfully delegated response
biity: the development and control of atomic
energy, and of the nanufa curing process by
which it becomes g weapon, must be done
with their full knowledge and partnership if
they are to he able to carry out that response
bility; therefore ways must be legally estab-
lished to convey that knowledge and effect
4bo+ CIR &c fheir noci.
ton, sensible and necessary. And such is the
provision of the redrafted Vandenberg amend
ment. even more specific and comprehensive
than the first one, which was so bitterly op-
posed.
The conclusion Of this correspondent, who
has watched the odd and often meaningless
battle from a ringside seat, is that MIR. Van
denberg and the military authorities exchang-
ed concession in language and one in pro-
cedure - both minor - for a retreat in SUBJ
stance. But since The victory is on the side
of common sense and national security, and
since the settlement opens the way to an
agreed national policy on which a global one
can be erected the box score is of little i'm
portance
The favorable report Of the Senate commit
tee on the nomination of Mr.. Baruch builds
a road to that larger goal. This action was
deferred at Mr.. Baruch's request because he
OSNAS%01y
had agreed to have his name sent to the
Senate, that the national policy he would
was far more unsettled than he had
been led to believed and might materiaIze as
one he could not speak for. The attacks on
the plan for military liaison came from in
fluential quarters which might prevail and
Mr.. Baruch would not exclude the military.
Also, between the dispatch Of his name to
the Senate and the committee action came the |
report of the State Department of the COM
nitee Of experts, offering proposals for
world control policy of which he has expressed
certain doubts This impelled him to make
surer OF what would be expected of him be-
fore he officially became our spokesman at
the U. N.
The favorable committee report on his
nomination, however, is sufficient evidence
that he has gained sufficient assurance on that
point to take on the Presidential assignment.
And it is certain this was given him by the |
Secretary o. State, Mr Byrnes, together with
the statements that ne would have an i'm
portant voice in making the policy he is to
execute ano that this policy is still in the
formative state. - New York Times.
Ed1forso1 Coro~oonf