Evening star., 1949-07-21
Truman Hits Atom Por|ey Leak,
SoysHe Knows GuestWho Told; ;
Minimizes Talks Importance
Discussion at Capitol
Of A-Bomb Cog
For Him Is Dropped
by Joseph A. Fox

~ AbOo 90 3CAob4SCAy a&AkAhPoA o0AAc
the recent hush-hush conference
on atomic energy at the Blair
House. but he sharply criticized
the official source he said leaked
information to the press that the
meeting was to be held.
Telling a news conference that
1t was the first time any one in
vited to White House conference
had tipped of the press. the Presi-
dent said he didn't like it then
and that he still doesn't like 1t.
He told a questioner that he
knew who was responsible, and
when asked If that individual
would ever be called into another
meeting, the President said he
would take care of that matter
when 1t arose.
Matter Still Secret.
Mr.. Truman refused fatty, how
ever. to throw any light on the
subject matter of the conference,
which was understood to have
involved discussion of the ex-
change of atomic information with
Britain.
The meeting was held last
Thursday night at Blair House
and was attended by representa-
tives of the military, State De-
partment, Atomic Energy Commits
sion and members of the Joint
Congressional Atomic Energy
Committee.
News of the meeting had seeped
out earlier that day and Mr.. Tru-
man, at a news conference held
just before the Blair House meet
ing, had acknowledged that the
meeting would be held.
1t was the first of two major
conferences which have been con-
Quoted on atomic matters. 'The
second was a meeting at the Cap
itol yesterday, called by the Joint
Atomic Committee. That confer
ence appeared to have eased mis-
givings of some Congress men,
bers that the President might act
on his own to give British some
atomic bomb secrets.
No Deep Secrets.
The White House has refused
steadfastly to discuss the Blair
House conference. The subject
was raised at today's news con-
ference by a question as to
whether the President would COM
ment, the reporter giving his own
observation that the matter had
been overplayed in press and
radio.
Declaring the meeting was rel
atively unimportant, the Presi-
dent said that ever since he had
been in the White House that he
had called conferences with Gov
ernment representatives on mat
ters affecting the welfare OF the
country and that this was just a
continuation of that policy.
He added that there was moth
ing for the American people to be
alarmed about in the discussion.
It was then that he remarked
that this was the first time that
such a meeting had leaked and
emphasized that no deep, dark
secret was involved. Seeking to
break off the colloquy. the Presi-
dent said then that he did not in
tend to make any comment nor
did he propose to answer any
more questions.
fDisinterested in Wherry Views.
Another reporter. reverting to
the issue later, said that in debate
on the Atlantic Pact. some men,
bers have raised the question
about atomic secrets passing on
to participants in the pact. The
reporter said Senator Wherry, Re-
publican, of Nebraska had said
this interchange of information
was implicit in the pact.
The President retorted that
Senator Wherry has a lot of un-
grounded fears in which he is not
interested. Later on in the con-
ference Mr.. Truman was asked if
he ever intended to make the de-
tails of the Blair House meeting
public and he said he certainly did
not.
At another point. the President
lSee ATOMIC. Page A-3l