Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-25
|Peron Claims
New, Cheaper
Atom Process
Argentine Scientists
Also Probing H-Bomb
Problems, He Says
BY the Associated Press

be developed on a big scale and
harnessed exclusively for indus
trial use.
Implying Argentine leadership
in hydrogen bomb research, he
said the study of solar reactions
oy a new type apparatus called the
thermotron, shows that foreign
scientists are still far from their
goal" at least on the basis of
what they have published.
The production of atomic en-
ergy is "transcendental for the
future life of Argentina and I do
not doubt of the entire world"
Gen. Peron said.
Sees Enormous Benefit.
Il hope to exhort all Argentines
to collaborate in this great prof.
ect, which will rebound so much
to the enormous benefit of our
country"
He made the announcement at
a news conference limited to Ar
gentlne neWSmen normally sta
toned at his palace. Foreign cor
were exclude A
stenographic report was made
public later.
Austrian-born Ronald Richter,
AZ, one of scores of European SCI
entiStS and technicians who came
to Argentina after World War II,
was introduced as the creator of
the Argentine system.
Mr.. Richter told the newsmen
that for some time now Argen-
tina has known the secret of the
hydrogen bomb. but in spite of
this knowledge the president never
asked that hydrogen bombs be de-
veloped. On the contrary. I have
always found a refusal on Gen.
Perons part to make use of this
secret"
Not Completely Original
(American scientists and per-
haps others also sknow the
secret of the H-bomb. which
theoretically would be many
times more powerful than the
atom bomb. The trick is how
to put it together so it will
work.
Richter said the Argentine sys-
tenn of producing atomic energy
is completely original" Gen.
Peron interrupted to say that it
does not employ uranium, but
deals with creating artificial
suns on the earth"
The scientist, a tall, blond
graduate of the University of
Prague, used the word explosion
in referring to the experiments.
but specified that it was not like
an atom bomb blast.
Il control the explosion" he
said. Il can make it increase or
diminish at my desire. When an
atom bomb explodes without
control there is terrific destruc-
ton. 1 have managed to control
the explosion so that it is pro-
duced in slow, gradual form"
Secrecy Held Necessary.
He said secrecy was necessary
Simply for economic and indus
trial reasons because, just as
there is espionage for war. there
is also economic espionage" He
suggested that the cost of atomic
energy would be much less than
electricity. He said he had been
actively in atomic research for
Is years.
Gen. Peron's decision to apply
atomic energy strictly to peace
full uses was described as another
proof of Argentina's third posi-
tion,' midway between Commu-
nism and Capitalism.
Argentine scientists obtained
the controlled release of atomic
energy, through "thermonuclear
reactions" February Is at a gov
eminent polit plant on Huemul
Island at San Carlos de Bari
loche. the president said in a
prepared statement. The island
is near the Chilean border, $50
miles by air southwest of Buenos
Aires.
Gen. Peron, did not explain the
new method in detail, but said
the experiment was performed
under conditions of control on
a technical scale on the basis
of thermonuclear reactions ident-
ical to those whereby the sun re-
leases atomic energy"
Enormous Temperatures.
BY his statements account:
Enormous temperatures in mil
lions of degrees" were built up.
The next step consisted of inject
ing into the zone of reaction nuclei
capable of reacting." The origin
of such nuclei was not specified.
The experiment produced par
ticles and quanta of great energy.
which leads to the conclusion
that at least part of the So
called comsic rays have their ORR
gin in processes which develop
within the SUM-"
The method is much cheaper
than costly processes of nuclear
fssion of uranium developed by
the United States under the pres
sure of war and subsequently
used by Russia. Britain and other
countries "for political reasons. "
Argentina will produce atomic
energy on big scale and use it
exclusively in power plants and
other industrial establishments.
Radioactive by-products will be
used in scientific Investigations.
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