Evening star., 1949-05-26
Text of LiIienthoFs Letter

| FOLLOWING 70 the te1t OF the
letter BY Chairman Lilienthol
OF the Atomic EneToy Conn
mission asking the Joint
Congregational Atomic Energy
Committee for tuH hearing
on charges Of nsaIadministra-
ton:
Dear Senator Mcmahon:
A full. complete and speedy re-
port on the charges that the United
States atomic energy program 1.
virtually failure is q matter urg.
emily necessary; the investigation
initiated by the McMahon COM
mittee and to be carried out by IL
Is welcomed.
The charges by Senator Hicken-
looper Of Incredible mismanage-
ment," misplaced emphasis" and
INSTRUMENTATION" involve moth
ing less than the security of this
Nation and the peace Of the world.
II 1t Is true that the atomic
energy program is In an almost
bankrupt condition, then this Ma
ton. far from being the custodian
and trustee Of q substantial stock
pile of atomic weapons, and In q
favorable production situation, is In
q sadly weakened condition. II this
were true 1t Is difficult to imagine
any single fact more disturbing TO
the peace of mind Of the people of
the country or to the security Of
the worlds democracies.
The facts on this crucial test Of
our stewardship can be readily
established.
Mistakes Admitted.
That In an enterprise requiring
the services of some 10000 human
beings there have been mistakes
and errors goes without saying; this
has been freely admitted. Working
with the atom does not make
human beings perfect and beyond
error. For these errors and mis-
takes the commission has and will
continue to accept full responsible
ity. The failure to follow explicit
commission regulations in the mat
ter of the uranium oxide at the
Argonne Laboratory In Chicago Is
such an instance. In the handling
of many of thousands Of tons Of
crucial materials, in various forms,
the commission and its contractor
employees have sought and will con.
tinue to seek to improve on methods
of accountability, that will keep
the element OF human fallibility at
q minimum; no system can elimi-
nate the human factor entirely.
Among the hundreds Of decisions
Of policy thus far made by the COM
mission and those that will be made
In the future, there are maiIy the
soundness of which IS and will be
subject to differences Of judgment
among equally sensible men. Such
q case Is that concerning scholar
ships for nonsecret study, awarded
by the National Research Council
Of the National Academy Of Sci
ences as contractor for the com.
mission. The policy Of the council
and the commission has In the past
10 days been changed to meet the
objections, on public policy grounds,
strongly expressed by members Of
Congress. But the difference was
one sof Judgment on which equally
patriotic and reasonable men could
have and do entertain differing
.yieWss ges22 sgg $50 seeasss rs'. :
s s Isotope Ex1ort Cited.
he Export sscientists abroad.
6fsott les, andk56nced by the Pres
ident iYi@6eptember, 1947, is another
instance. This was done upon the
unanimous Recommendation Of dis
tinguished advisors to the com
mission.
j There are bound to be cases Of
Understanding Lot construction
16stxx ~ contrn0SeS Of the <oene
mission In conriedtaoh with ,rs6htls.
needed facilities O11n wholly new
kind. These are properly subject
to criticism. But they were COM
mon experiences during the war and
today in industry generally.
The Joint Committee on Atomic
Energy Of the House and Senate
was established by the Mcmahon
Act to review and consider, among
other things, difference Of judg-
ment on policy. and to receive and
consider and appraise the rate OF
progress, or lack OF progress in the
work Of this project
one Of the largest enterprises and
most complex In history. Numerous
largely secret or top-secret,
and frequent hearings, conferences,
and staff uaison have made your
committee essentially-and rightly
so-a continuous congressional In
committee.
The test Of whether there has
been and Is incredible nais-man-