Evening star., 1949-07-15
Mystery Meeting
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Mystery Meeting
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later. however, the paper added
that no decisions were made dur.
ing the session unless the Presi-
dent came to some determination
that he did not disclose.
Any decision to give informa-
ton to Britain would require ar
act of Congress before it could
be carried out. Present law for
bids disclosure of atomic informa-
tion to other countries.
Asked If Mr.. Truman had giver
orders for secrecy. Mr.. Ayers re.
called that the President told his
news conference yesterday. wher
asked about the meeting, that
there would be no comment.
The press aide said he was
responsible for the order that nc
pictures could be taken of the
participants in the meeting. There
was no explanation for that either
other than a statement that very
often presidential conferees are
not photographed.
Vice President Barkley said the
conference was "just mentioned
at this mornings cabinet session
but there was no discussion. Asked
If 1.-The absolute lid is still on the
meeting" the Vice President, who
attended the mysterious con-
ference, replied:
II suppose 50, as far as I'm
concerned"
Other members Of the cabinet
said the matter was not discussed
and Secretary Of Agriculture
Brannan said it was not men,
toned.
Left Up to President.
The 16 men who were closeted
with Mr.. Truman were singularly
close se-mouthed as they left. What
little they did reply to reporters
questions could be summed up:
"If anything is going to be
said. the President will say it."
The conference, staged against
the dual backdrops Of (a,' the
sharp Senate debate on the At
lantic Pact and arms-for Europe
and (b) a congressional hearing
into charges Of mismanagement of
the atomic energy program. threw
open the doors to wide areas Of
speculation.
This was true because OF the
secrecy that surrounded every
thing. even though it could be that
nothing sensational was involved
Here's the list Of those at the
conference with the President:
Vice President Barkley. Secre-
tary Of State Acheson, Secretary
of Defense johnson, Gen. Eisen-
hover, who has been presiding as
chairman of the Joint Military
Chiefs Of Staff; House Speaker
Rayburn, Chairman Connally o.
the Senate Foreign Relations Com.
mittee, Chairman Tydings Of tn.
Senate Armed Services Commit.
tee, Chairman Mcmahon of tn,
Joint Senate-House Atomic Energ,
Committee.
Others Attending.
Also Senator Vandenberg o:
Michigan, Republican foreign
policy spokesman and member o,
both the Foreign Relations ane
Joint Atomic Committees: Sena.
tor Hickenlooper, Republican, o,
Iowa, a member of both groups
and author of the incredible
mismahagement" charges against
the Atomic Energy Commission;
Representative Durham, Demo-
crat, of North Carolina, vice
chairman Of the Joint Committee
and Representative Cole Of New
York. ranking Republican House
member on the committee.
Chairman David e. Lilientha]
OF the ACC; Joseph volpe, jr.
Acc general counsel, and two un-
identified men.
Both the areas Of speculation
and the mystery-were enhanced
by an accumulating number o1
facts. none Of which supplied any
deflnitive answers. Among them
1. That the conference itsel.
was never announced officially
but only acknowledged by MIR
Truman at his. press conference
after the news already had seepec
out.
2. That the conference was helf
in the evening at Blair House, in.
stead of during the day at tn.
White House.
3. That the White House i'm.
posed the mo Pictures" ban ane
the White House press Office de.
clared there was no statement
to be forthcoming.
4. That the usual jovial Bark.
ley was grim-faced. and Senator
Tydings was cryptic to an un.
usual extent.
S. That, as 1t was disclosed
eventually, there was a gentle
mems agreement" that no one but
the President would say anything
Mr.. Truman walked to the doc,
with the last two to Secre-
taries Acheson and Mr.. johnson.
He was smiling as he chatted
with them briefly in the anteroom
IN sharp contrast to MIR. Barkley',
stern features ana the sharp tone