Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-07-25
LiIienthaI Proposal
To Share Atom Secret!
Kew Issue in Probe
~ the Asseeiotsd Prsss

BY the Asseeiotsd Press
David E. Lilienthals reported
backing of plan to give A-bomb
know-how to the British by pres
idential action today became a
key issue in congressional in
vestigation OF the Atomic Energy
Commission.
Mr.. Lilienthal's advocacy of
such a move was listed as one of
the arguments Senator Hicken-
looper, Republican, of Iowa has
been pressing in support of his
charge of incredible miSmanage-
ment against the Acc chairman.
Senator Hickenlooper said in
statement yesterday that this
country must not be allowed to
forfeit its lead in the atomic field
by giving weapons information to
any country.
He sided with Senator Know
land, Republican, of California,
who said in a separate weekend
statement that neither the Pres
ident nor the Acc has any legal
or moral right to disclose such
data to any foreign nation with
out approval of Congress.
Millikin Agrees With Knowland.
Senator Millikin, Republican. of
Colorado said he agrees with the
position taken by Senators Know
land and Hickenlooper. Senator
Vandenberg, Republican. of Mich
igan was reported to be backing
the same stand. All are members
of the Senate House Atomic Com
mittee.
Senator Tydings, Democrat, OF
Maryland, another member OF the
committee, said in radio inter-
view yesterday that he is opposed
to giving the atomic bomb to other
nations which signed the North
Atlantic Pact.
Committee Chairman Mcmahon
told a foreign policy conference
audience at Colgate University
last night that it is only a ques-
ton OF time until the Soviets
learn the atomic secrets.
Guard our secrets as we will,
other nations will sooner or later
know how to make atomic
bombs" he declared.
Stockpiling Urged.
Because of this, he said the
United States must make it the
first order of business to stock
pile bombs.
Against the day when agrees
sors are no longer restrained by
our monopoly. they must be re-
strained by our superiority" he
declared. "On the day that Rus
STA gets her first bomb we must
have as large a number as we can
produce.
Senator Mcmahon may have
touched on the key to the present
argument over giving the secrets
to the British when he observed
further:
ITO build such q stockpile and
to prevent others from duplicat-
ing it, we must be alert to secure
the necessary deposits of uranium
and thorium raw materials wher-
ever they can be found. That Is
obviously q paramount duty" /
A Senate House committee
member who asked not to be
quoted by name said the question
Of uranium supplies is interviewer
with the issue of giving bomb
secrets to the British.
Congo Chief Uranium Source.
To date, this member said, the
United States has been drawing
practically all of the uranium
obtained from British owned
mines in the Belgian Congo. The
British also were said to have
let this country have some adj
ditional supplies from their stock
piles.
Unless satisfactory arrange
ments are made. this lawmaker
said, this country can't expect to
get more than half of the Belgian
Congo uranium in the future.
He pictured the Blair House
meeting as conference in which
the President explored this stu
alton with the idea of knowing
where top Government officials
stand on the secrecy issue before
he. has to deal further with the
British on uranium Supplies.