Evening star., 1949-05-27
In Foirness to Mr.. LiIienthuI

In Foirness to Mr.. Lilienthul
Chairman Lilienthal of the Atomic
Energy Commission is entitled to the kind
of investigation he has asked for in answer
to the serious charges made against him
by Senator Hickenlooper and others. Fair
play demands as much. So does a proper
regard for the democratic concept of an
enlightened public opinion.
Up to now the situation has produced
more heat than light. The charges-the
grayest of them accusing the Acc of ain
credible mismanagement"-h left the
impression in many minds that Mr.. Lilien-
thai has been making mess of the atomic
project and that maybe the security of
the Nation has been grievously affected.
AS yet, however, none Of this has been
convincingly substantiated; the true facts
whatever they may behave been OBJ
scured by kind of emotional mist creating
doubts and suspicious which actually may
be wholly unjustif1ed.
In all fairness, therefore, as q matter of
simple justice, the Senate House Atomic
Energy Committee owes 1t to Mr.. Lilienthal
to look into the matter as thoroughly and
as publicly as possible. Beyond that, after
1t has completed its investigation, the COM
mittee will owe 1t to the Nation at large
to make public q definitive report on the
validity of the charges. For the truth is.
as Mr.. Lilienthal has said in his spirited
and challenging letter to Senator Nc
Mahon, that If the charges are true ut 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."
Our atomic project, after all, Is a thing
Of overshadowing Importance to the safety
OF our own and like-minded nations in
this period of dangerous international
tension. If it has been subjected to "in-
credible mismanagement," that fact had
better be established now and corrective
action taken before it is too late. On the
other hand, If 1t has been well managed,
charges to the contrary ought to be spe-
ciflcally dismissed, not merely to vindicate
Mr.. Lilienthal, but to put an end to un-
warranted uneasiness among Americans
and to make clear to other countries-in-
cluding Russia-that We are not falling
down on the job in any degree.
BY means of a good, thorough, dispas-
sionate inquiry, the Senate-House Com
mittee should find 1t easy enough to
determine whether developments like the
recent loss of an ounce of uranium 235
and the Aces now-revised policy on atomic
fellowships have been grave in their i'm
plications or whether they have been
exaggerated out of all proportion to their
real meaning. Further, apart from placing
these matters in perspective and weighing
the human errors" admitted by Mr.. Lilien-
thai, the investigation should 60 into the
even more important consideration of just
what he and the commission have achieved,
or failed to achieve, since they began their
operations two and half years ago.
Thus, as Mr.. Lilienthal himself has sug-
gested, the character of the Aces steward
ship can be measured by answers to such
questions as these: a. Has the state of
our A-weapons improved or declined?
ca Is production of fashionable materials
worse or better? 60 Has nuclear research
gained or lost ground since the commission
began functioning? a. Is today's per-
sonnel morale higher or lower than in
1947? And 60 in terms Of security, the
protection of plants, safeguarding secret
documents, clearance of individuals, ETC.,
are present conditions looser or tighter
than those prevailing two and half
years ago?
Judging from his letter to Senator Nc
Mahon. Mr.. Lilienthal is pretty certain
that If these and similar questions are fully
explored, the joint congressional committee
will find that the Acc has done an excel
lent job under his Craftsmanship. There is
some reason to believe that his confidence
Is well-founded Whether 1t is or not,
however, complete investigation will have
the virtue of clearing up current doubts
and forcing reforms II any are really
needed.
We like to think that the folding tooth