Evening star., 1946-01-29
Byrnes Favors
Witnesses
AT A-Bonnb Tests
Secretury's Proposal
Would Include All
On Security Council
BULLETIN.

l
Committee moved today to
have the United States keep
secret the results of the
atomic bomb tests to be made
in the Pacific. AT the COM
mittee's insistence, Chairman
Vinson asked Vice Admiral
w. H. P, Blandy, the atom test
task force commander, to
submit such legislation to the
committee tomorrow.
Secretary of State Byrnes sale
today that he and President
Truman believe members of the
United Nations Atomic Energy
Commission should be invited tc
witness the forthcoming Navy
Army test of atomic bombs
against a fleet.
He explained it was his under
standing that Secretary of War Pat
terson and Secretary of the Navy
Forrestal are still discussing the
question of witnesses with Gen,
Eisenhower, Admiral Nimitz and
their staffs.
If the Byrnes recommendation
is adopted, it would mean that Of
flcials from Russia, Britain, France,
China, Australia, Poland, Yugosla-
via. Brazil, the Netherlands, Egypt
and Canada would be on hand for
the experiment.
Sees No Conflict.
All members of the United Ma
tions Security Council, plus Canada,
are members of the UNO Atomic En-
ergy Commission which was estab-
iished in London last week. Canada
is a member because it participated
with the United States and Britain
IN the development of the atom
bomb.
Mr.. Byrnes said he was willing to
have at the demonstration either
the commission members or a COM
mittee appointed by the commission.
He added that he knows of no
conflict on the subject between the
State Department on one hand and
the War and Navy Departments on
the other.
Not Yet U. S. Policy.
When reporter remarked that a
State Department opinion on such
a matter, backed by the President,
would come pretty close to repre-
Senting United States policy" Mr..
Byrnes said he hoped SO.
He added, however, that his pro-
posal should not yet be construed
as United States policy. It did not
mean, he said, that only the nations
represented on the atomic commits
sion would be invited.
Prime Minister Attlee told the
House Of Commons yesterday that
Britain desires to have military OBJ
servers present and that conversa-
tions to that end now are being held.
House Seeks Cost of Tests.
Earlier today House Naval Affairs
Committee hired former member
as its.special investigator, then set
out to determine the full cost of the
forthcoming atomic bomb tests.
The new committee agent is Mel
vim j. Mas of st. Paul, veteran of
nine terms in Congress and one-time
ranking Republican on the COM
mittee. More recently Mr.. Mas
has been a Marine colonel.
In disclosing the appointment,
Chairman Vinson told reporter the
Minnesotan will play an active role
in number of investigations the
committee is planning. Mr.. Vinson
withheld details.
Randy Called for Report.
Meanwhile, the committee sum-
moned Vice Admiral w. H. P. Blandy
for a full report on the atomic tests
he will supervise beginning in May
witH particular emphasis, Mr.. Vim
son said, on the cost angle.
The cost of the target ships alone
has been estimated at several hun
dred million dollars.
Admiral Blandy listed the names
Of most of the ships for the Senate
Atomic Energy Committee last week,
but Mr.. Vinson insisted his COM
mittee and the Senate Naval At
fairs Committee should be asked
for permission before any American
vessels are destroyed in the test. He
introduced legislation to that ef-
feet yesterday.