Evening star., 1946-07-20
The House on the Atom

Considered in relation to the aW-
full nature of atomic energy and to
current efforts to work out an ef-
fective system of international con-
troll, much of the House debate on
the Senate-approved Mcmahon bill
seems anything but enlightened or
reassuring.
Fully supported by the President,
Endorsed by the War and Navy De-
partments, adopted unanimously by
a special Senate committee that
held months of exhaustive hearings
on it, and approved by the Senate
as a whole without single dis
Senting vote, the Mcmahon bill may
fairly be said to represent the best
scientific. political and military
thought of the Nation Under it a
Well-balanced system of domestic
control would be operated through
an all-civilian commission. The in
terests of the armed services would
be amply protected by a liaison
committee. In addition, as a check
against the possibility that the COM
mission might abuse it's powers,
there would be a presidential ad-
visory committee of nine civilian
experts, and the overall program
would be subject to constant study
by permanent joint congressional
committee made up of nine Senators
and nine Representatives.
Yet several members of the House
appear to be ready to wreck the bill.
Some argue against it on the ground
that 1t affrontS free enterprise,
though one of the most obvious
things about atomic energy is that
it is far too deadly ever to be han
died as a private business In any
thing but a strictly limited sense
through rigidly regulated licensing
and similar arrangements. Others
argue against the measure because
they want the Army and Navy in
full control. despite the wholesome
American tradition that the conduct
of the affairs of our Government
should be predominantly civilian
and although the atoms peacetime
Observation-Disclosures and scien-
tif1c-range far beyond the military
field. Still others argue as If the
Mcmahon bill would leave the door
wide open to foreign spies"-an
idea that ignores entirely the pro-
visions for security regulations max
ing violators liable to fines up to
$4,000 and Imprisonment up to 20
years.
In themselves, certain of the
House amendments do not seem to
do violence to the basic principles of
the Senate measure. Thus, the pro-
posal to seat at least one military
man on the f1ve-man commission
would still retain predominantly ci-
william control. Similarly, the revi-
sion empowering the President to
direct the commission to let the
Army and Navy make A-bombs
when he deems it necessary (under
the Mcmahon bill he would direct
the commission itself to make them)
does not appear fundamentally un-
reasonable. Differences of this sort
probably rejecting a House desire
to make doubly sure that the inter-
ests of the armed forces are pro-
tected-lend themselves to compro-
mise.
That said, however, the disturbing
thing in the House is that many
members seem eager to shelve the
bill and let the Army continue to
rule the atom exclusively and in
definitely. The danger is that the
present amending process may be
seized upon by this group to block
all efforts to establish intelligent
domestic control until some time
next year-a delay that would be
harmful both to our own country
and to international progress in the
field. A majority OF the House, it
must be hoped, will not let that
happen.