Evening star., 1946-03-29
No Cruckpot's Dream

the outset, and with special en-
phasis, regarding the State Depart
ment's report on the international
control of atomic energy. The first
of these is that the report inescapa-
bly, embodies extraordinary and un-
precedented ideas quite in keeping
with the revolutionary character of
the harnessed atom. The second is
that it is not presented as a final
plan or as statement of American
policy, but merely as starting point
for thoughtful discussion or. in it's
own words. as "a place to begin, a
foundation on which to build"
The central idea of the report is
that there should be established an
international agency-an Atomic
Development Authority" - which
would have complete control over all
the worlds supplies of uranium and
thorium. the only materials from
which atomic weapons can be made
in the foreseeable future. In addi-
SAOAis S1A 1llS oll llS OWll 1CScdIC1l,
the agency would be the sole owner
and operator of plants engaged in
the production of dangerous" fis-
sionable materials, the kind that
could be readily converted for pur-
poses of war. 8 At the same time,
however, through leasing and licens-
ing arrangements, it would turn over
to the different nations "safe" fis-
sionable materials for exploitation
by governmental or private enter
prise in such peacetime uses as the
generation of light and power. The
materials would be safe" because
they would be so "denatured" as to
leave them relatively insignificant in
military sense. though still eff
cient for scientific or industrial ap-
plications.
No second glance is needed to de-
tect the startling and revolutionary
sweep of this suggestion. Under such
an international authority, no ma
tion would be allowed to exercise
sovereignty in the field of atomic
development. Under it, for example,
the United States could no longer
own or operate the vast and costly
plants it built to open the new age
OF the atom that is at once so ghastly
and so promising in its potentialities
Under it Russia would have to sur
render to the world agency whatever
uranium and thorium resources it
may have within its borders. Under
1t, In short, there would come into
being a supranational instrument
which as recently as year ago
before Hiroshima-Would have been
regarded as crackpot's dream. Yet
the authors of this suggestion-in-
cluding some of the most distin-
gulshed, most far-sighted and sanest
men in America-have come forward
with it in all seriousness. And they
have done so because they have con-
cluded in their minds and hearts,
after weeks of earnest study and
debate among themselves, that there
is no tolerable alternative to it and
that mere treaties outlawing the
atom as weapon, elaborate in
spection systems and similar meas
ures within the framework of old
ideas, simply will not do if mankind
is to protect itself from the danger
OF an all-encompassing catastrophe.
Still. although the State Depart
ment report is most persuasive on
this point. it emphasizes over and
over again that the suggested
Atomic Development Authority" is
not something that can be created in
day, if ever. The proposal is at best
merely a rough architectural sketch
as it stands, and it is in that light
that the people of this country and
people abroad must study and debate
it-keeping always in mind that if it
seems "too radical, too advanced, too
much beyond human experience" it
is no more so than the atomic bomb
itself and that some such novel and
immensely difficult" undertaking
will be sorely needed in the epochal
time ahead.
The war never will be quite COM