Evening star., 1949-05-19

Vigorous Inquiry
Into Loss Of U-235
Promised at Capitol
Members OF the Joint Congress
ional Atomic Energy Committee
said today the committee Will
continue vigorously" an Inyesti-
CATION OF the loss OF a small
amount Of uranium oxide from
the Atomic Energy Commission S
Argonne laboratory in Chicago.
They made this clear after
Chairman Mcmahon had an
nounced that the FBI has in
dicated that in its opinion no es-
pionage was involved in this case.
Senator McMahon. chairman OF
the committee. also said the miss
ing uranium has no value Tor
use in an atomic weapon"
His statement was released after
the committee met for three hours
yesterday with Chairman David z
Lilienthal and Rear Admiral Louis
Straus of the Atomic Energy Com
mission. The Senator emphasized
that he was speaking for himsel:
and not for the committee.
Fuller Inquiry Sought.
Representative Elston, Repuhli-
can. of Ohio. was one of the COM
mittee members for fuller In
quiry.
Il certainly am not satisfied or
the basis of what We heard yes
terday," Mr.. Elston said. I'VE had
only the commissions statement
II would want a most care
| ful-a most acknowledgements
ton before I made up my mind
am sure there are other members
of the committee who feel the
same way"
Senator Hickenlooper. Repub-
Nican. of Iowa. said there are de
tails we don't know and that he
Is sure there will be further com.
mittee hearings to hear what
develops in the atomic commits
sion's efforts to locate the missing
uranium.
Undecided on Hearings.
THE investigation will be con-
tinued vigorously he COM
mented.
In making his statement last
night, Senator Mcmahon did not
say when further hearings woulc
/ be held.
The Senator made it clear
neverthesless. that the commit
tee intends to keep close check
on the situation.
He refused comment wher
asked If any one had been neg
ligent. However, he observed thai
Acc officials are tightening uE
their accounting process as rapidly
as they can.
Senator Mcmahon said one.
seventh of an ounce Of enriched
uranium oxide, known as U-235
is missing, but that the other six
sevenths originally reported lost
has been recovered.
Mcmahon Discusses Mixup.
The mystery Of the missing
uranium. used In making the
atomic bomb. broke into the news
Tuesday night and the FBI sale
it had investigated the matter
Several hours after the mystery
was disclosed, Acc officials ac'
knowledged that 80 grams Of u
235 had been lost. but said 2;
grams had been recovered from
waste. materials.s~~sr.s--.--r---s---v,-r--.
In his statement last night, Sen
ator McMahon discussed the mix
up at length.
He said the facts, as reported
by Mr.. Lilienthal and his aides a
the hearing showed that th'
shortage was first discovered a
the Argonne Laboratory on Feb
ruary 8.
THE item missing was small
container of uranium oxide which
had been produced by oxidation
or burning. or machine turning!
from a bar of uranium" Senator
Mcmahon said.
The small co,-tainer Of oxide
was to have been sent to a vaul
for safekeeping. 1t was recorded
as being part of shipment to tht
storage vault on September Is
1948, when a section Of thu
laboratory was moved.
One Container Missing.
when the material in thi!
shipment was to be used again
one container containing approx
mately / ounce of U-235 ir
uranium oxide was missing. Thi.
was determined on February 8
1949."
Senator Mcmahon said the
| laboratory then started search
and being unable to find it. mott
fed the Acc office in Chicago
on February IA.
! IAN intensive investigation was