Evening star., 1948-06-08
.ForrestaI Confirms
Ban on Security Data
For Scientific Group

The office of Secretary of De-
fenSe Forrestal confirmed today
that it had instructed units of
the national defense establish
ment to refuse to answer certain
portions of the questionnaire
submitted by a committee of
nine leading atomic scientists.
A spokesman said the Army, Navy
Air Force and the Research and De-
velopment Board had been told not
to answer questions as to the
classif1cations of their projects "on
the grounds that it would be in
imical to the national security"
The scientists. all members Of the
Cornell University faculty, had ex-
pressed the view that the defense
establishment was worried more
about criticism Of its policies than
about security.
Sought Information.
The defense spokesman said the
scientists, who constitute the Com
mittee on Security and Clearance of
the Federation of American Scien-
lists, had sought information as to
how much work of industry, univer-
sites and Government departments
was classified, just what the classifi-
cations were, if they had been in
vestigated and, if so, by whom. He
said Mr.. Forrestal had told the
units they could not answer any
such line of questioning. but that
they were free to answer the bal
ance of the committees question
naire.
The Federation Committee is
headed by DR.. S. H. Bauer, professor
of chemistry at Cornell, and in
cludes two Nobel prize winrers-
DR.. Hans A. Bethe, to wnom Is due
the basic theory Of atomic energy
release, and DR.. P. J. w. Debye.
Sought Eligibility Rules.
Last November, they say, they
mailed a questionnaire to 140 lab
oratories, including establishments
in Government departments, uni
versities and private industry which
are working on contracts with the
services. The object was to de-
termine what rules were followed In
determining the eligibility OF a SCI
enlist for employment or for con-
tinuing on the job.
A copy of the questionnaire is
included in the report published In
this months issue Of the Bulletin OF
the Atomic Scientists. official organ
of the federation. The only ques-
ton that might have been con-
sidered Objectionable was on the
percentage Of work in progress that
could be considered secret.
The QUESTIONABLE, according tc
the report, was filled out satisfac-
torily and returned by all the uni
versity and private laboratories and
from most of the Government de-
partments including, it is indicated
the Atomic Energy Commission
But from the services, the commit
tee charges, it received objections
even to revealing the basic clear
ance procedures, on the grounds
that security would be violated.
The most secret OF all work on
atomic development Is carried on
at the Atomic Energy Commissions
establishment at Los Alamos, N
Mex, where the atomic bomb itself
was developed. The reply received
from Los Alamos was complete and
satisfactory to the committee.
But from Rear Admiral Inglis
chief of naval intelligence, accord.
ing to the report, came a letter
which said in part: THE answers tc
many of the questions posed in your
QUESTIONABLE would be Of claSsi.
fed character"
The committee asked why. After
four weeks, according to the report
came the answer: Il regret tt
inform you I am unable to supply
you with the information requested.
Espionage Act Violations Seen.
From an Army Ordnance district
chief came the reply that answer!
to some of the questions would con-
stitute violations Of the Espionage
Act. The questions asked how much
work was done for the Federal Gov
ernment, with which Government
agencies the laboratory had con.
tracts, how many projects wert
secret and what agencies hae
charge of security investigations.
The Office of Naval Research, i
is charged, sent out a form letter
one of which was received at uni
verSity laboratory dealing with {
completely unclassified project
which said: IF this QUESTIONABLE
lllnnl11