Evening star., 1949-10-22
Soviet Atom Progress
Faster Than in u. s.,
DR.. Urey Declares
BY - Asseeiotsd Prsss

y
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. ga
Nobel Prize winning scientist says
the Russians are moving faster
than the United States in atomic
development and soon may be
ahead of us.
DR.. Harold c. Urey, the scientist
honored for discovering heavy
hydrogen, offered this reason:
The United States is too con-
cerned about military secrecy.
1T is time that we take stock
of this situation and recognize it
for what it is," DR.. Urey declared,
land 1t is time that we stop witch
hunting about the secret which
obviously now does not exist"
He gave his views at a press
conference yesterday. So did 1t.
Gen. Leslie R. Groves, wartime
atomic research chief.
DR.. Urey said, Il would fire
every security officer in every
atomic plant and laboratory in
the United States with the excep-
ton of Los Alamos." CLOS Alamos
was excepted, he said, because of
its military detail value)
Opposed BY Groves.
Childish" scoffed Gen. Groves.
The general said United States
atomic secrecy since World War
II was needed to give European
nations breathing time for re-
covery. We would have shortened
the time for Russian discovery of
the atom bomb by making our in
formation available"
DR.. Urey said that if the United
States doesn't abandon Cd atomic
secrecy and co Congressional
witch hunts the Russians will
soon forge ahead of the United
States in atomic know how and
the number of atom bombs.
Regarding Congress, DR.. Urey
said:
1T has been very difficult to
take any courageous stand in re-
gard to anything connected with
atomic energy as long as commit
tees of Congress of the United
States continually impugn the in
tegrity and motives of scientific
groups.
Attacks Are Denounced.
GAS long as attacks are made
against group, of most un-
justified character, the group can
not do anything to try to defend
itself"
AS for secrecy:
The question of the secret is
utterly unimportant as compared
with getting some work done. Re-
Ceptionists and ordinary guards
Cat atom plants should keep loi-
terers out of the laboratories and
plants"
Two other scientists got into the
act. writing in the Bulletin of
Atomic Scientists.
DR.. Frederick Seitz, professor of
physics at the University of Illi-
nois, said in a short time the
Russians will have learned all
that American scientists know of
the atom bomb.
1T Is far BETTER" he went on,
that we focus attention on the
acquisition of new knowledge and
new techniques and run the small
danger that some of this knowl-
edge will be obtained by the Rus
slams before they discover it them
selves"
Leadership Threatened.
Said DR.. Eugene Rabinowitch,
professor Of botany at Illinois:
Not only is our leadership In
atomic offense threatened; we are
even more in danger of falling
behind the Soviet Union In our
capacity for defense"
DR.. Urey. writing in the bulle-
in. said the United States atomic
program Is inefficient and frus-
trated.
Atomic scientists have left their
work "in utter disgust" DR.. Urey
wrote. because of petty security
regulations" and Charges of hay
ing communistic leanings."
DR.. Urey and DR.. Rabinowitch
offered differing views on the best
defense against the A-bomb.
DR.. Urey said the only defense
is in the establishment of a global
world government. e i
DR.. Rabinowitch said the best
defense is to be somewhere else
when the bomb eynIofes