Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-24
Peron Claims New Atom Eneroy
Process, Like Suns, Is Found;
Plans Big-ScoIe Industry Use
Argentine President
Fails to Disclose
Exuct Method
BY the Associated Press


BUENOS AIRES, Mar. "a
President Juan D. Peron an
nounced today Argentina has dis
covered a new method of produc-
ing atomic energy. He said it
would be put to use on a big
scale in power plants and other
industrial establishments.
Gen. Peron did not disclose the
method, bat said it was similar to
the way the sun produces atomic
energy. The source of the suns
atomic energy is hydrogen. Top
scientists in the United States
have said that it is not possible
to use the suns method either to
develop atomic heat for power OF
for making the hydrogen bomb.
Gen. Peron commented that
the Argentine scientists from
their studies reached the con-
clusion that foreign scientists
still were far from their goal of
producing an H-bomb.
The President said the discovery
was of "transcendental" impor-
lance to the future of Argentina,
land. I do not doubt. the entire
world"
(The announcement set diplo-
mats in Washington thinking
about the possible political and
military effects. 1t came just
before the opening Monday of
the Inter- American Foreign
Ministers Conference)
Gen. Peron said Argentine sci
entists had succeeded in obtaining
the controlled release of atomic
energy.
He told a news conference that
scientists working at pilot plant
$50 miles from BuenoS Aires had
produced atomic energy by a new
method unknown to other coun-
tries and much cheaper than that
employed by the United States,
Russia and Britain.
Gives No Details.
He gave no details. Gen. Peron
said the new method is based on
thermonuclear reactions.
Thermonuclear is routine word
used by scientists to describe what
happens in or to the nucleus of
an atom. 1t gives no special clue
as to the method of atomic fission
involved.
Gen. Peron said the successful
experiments were carried out last
February 16 at Huemel Island,
near San Carlos de Bariloche,
about $50 miles southwest OF
Buenos Aires in the vicinity of
the Chilean border. The Argen-
tine government has pilot plant
there.
Research into use of atomic
energy as a source Of power sup
planting coal, gasoline and other
sources is prime target for scien-
lists in the United States. Britain
Canada, the Soviet Union and
other countries where experiments
may be going on.
A chief obstacle that must be
overcome is the control of radio
activity that accompanies an
atomic explosion.
Great Heat Needed.
In prepared statement tc
newsmen, Gen. Peron said in order
to carry out the experiments the
scientists had to produce heat OF
enormous temperatures in mil
lions of degrees" This would be
expected in any experiments or
atomic fission.
Gen. Peron said the next Ster
consisted of injecting into the
reaction zone nuclei capable OF
reacting." He did not specify
their origin. He said the scientists
) had achieved the almost unat-
tainable objective" of preventing g
disastrous explosion during. the
experiment and managed to con-
troll a chain of thermonucleal
reactions"
The general said Argentina hac
produced a new type of thermo-
iron and that it is being used tt
study problems of the hydrogen
bomb.
He said these studies show thai
foreign scientists are still fal
from their goal in achieving thu
H-bomb, at least on the basis O
what they have published regard
ing the H-bomb.
CA thermotron is an instru-
ment that studies or makes use
of heat. The suns heat is
atomic energy which is released
by the sun when atoms of hy-
drogen fuse together. It is a
long process requiring millions
of years but in the end the
hydrogen becomes helium and
small amounts of the mass of
hydrogen atoms turn into
atomic energy that is, heat and
radioactivity.D
Gen. Peron said Argentina wa
fortunate in being able to us
cheaper materials and develop
less costly process of producin,
atomic energy. He said Argentin;
will use it in power plants ant
other industrial establishment
(See PERON, Page A-3.)