Evening star., 1949-05-24
Investigating the Acc


far, Senator Hickenlooper appears to
have gone to an unjustified extreme in
demanding Mr.. Lilienthal's custer from
the Atomic Energy Commission. Yet, no
matter how immoderate that demand may
be, recent developments have raised
legitimate doubts about the Aces ad-
ministrative practices and the quality OF
its chairman's judgment. The doubts,
moreover, are serious enough to warrant
a complete investigation of the kind advo-
Gated by Senator Vandenberg and Endorsed
by Senator Mcmahon, head of the Joint
Congressional Committee on the Atom.
Two years ago, when Mr.. Lilienthals
name was up for confirmation, Senators
Hickenlooper and Vandenberg were among
his strongest supporters In the period
since then, as members of the Senate
House Atomic Committee, they have been
in a position to keep a fairly close watch
on the Aces operations. Accordingly,
when Mr.. Hickenlooper now takes the
position he has taken, and when Mr..
Vandenberg reveals similar but more
moderate attitude, there is good reason
for thorough congressional inquiry to
deternine-in the interest of the Nation
and in fairness to all individuals con-
cerned-whether the situation involves any
possible injury to the country's security
and whether corrective action is called for.
AS far as administrative practices are
concerned, two major points need clari-
fication. The first of these has to do
with the charge that the Acc violated
one of its legal obligations when it failed
for a period of weeks to tell the
Senate-House Committee that 1t had lost
track of an ounce Of uranium 235. The
second point has to do with the adequacy
of its accounting system and other safe
guards 0ncluding cooperation with the
FBD against such losses. In short, from
the standpoint of administration, what
needs to be answered is whether the COM
mission has been fully faithful to the law
that created it and whether 1t has been
operating efficiently and carefully enough
in terms Of overall management and
security.
The security factor is also involved in
the question having to do with Mr.. Lilien-
thal's policy making judgment. What has
brought that, judgment under special
scrutiny hRH Hep his attitude regarding
atomic fellowships. At first, under ques-
tioning, he defended the idea of extending
such educational grants-in nonsecret
fields-to an admitted Communist and to
q few, others lacking security clearance.
Although he has now changed his view
and annouriced that III ACC fellows, with
out exception, must execute loyalty oaths
and supply anti Communist affidavits, This
original position-which in effect favored
educating potentially or actually disloyal
Americans at public expense-has left
disturbing doubts in many minds as to
the clearness Of his thinking and the
soundness of his actions on even more
important issues.
Whether or not such doubts are in fact
justified, they have become so widespread
that nothing less than full inquiry Is
needed to clear them up. The Acc Is
one OF our most vital agencies. More than
that, as Senator Vandenberg has said, 1t is
necessarily a thoroughly undemocratic
compartment in our democratic system"
Because of its very nature, therefore.
because of its tremendous power and
inescapable secrecy, 1t should be period
ically questioned as completely and as
publicly as security permits. There may
be nothing seriously wrong with 1t, but
by investigating 1t now, and at intervals
in the future, Congress-and the Nation
through Congress-can do much to prevent
mismanagement or dangerous policy errors.