Evening star., 1952-12-10

The production of atomic weap-
onS has been placed on an assem-
bly-line basis. and a whole family
of weapons is being developed to
handle a wide variety of military
situations. A measure of the de-
velopmental progress that has
been made is the frequency of the
tests that have been held at Ne
vada and Eniwetok.
Power has already been pro-
duced experimentally from atomic
energy in a research machine in
Idaho. and work is well along on
the first nuclear- powered subma-
rine. Research is also going. for
ward on nuclear propulsion devices
for large surface ships and air
planes.
A representative group Of
American industrial concerns has
taken long look at the possibility
of large-Scale nuclear power pro-
duction, and has concluded that 1t
Is technically feasible. Research is
going forward to reduce costs so
that it may someday become eco
nomically feasible.
knowledge Has Increased.
For six years now. the products
Of atomic energy called radio
isotopes" have been produced and
distributed to medical, industrial,
agricultural and scientific insti-
tutions. To date, more than 10000
shipments have been made to
more than 1000 customers. Grad
ually but surely these materials
are contributing to improved
health. better industrial products
and processes.
A vast reservoir of knowledge
about atomic energy has been
built up. and large numbers of
people have been trained to use it.
In addition to the 10000 workers
now engaged directly in the atomic
energy program, of which less
than 1000 work for the Govern
ment. there are thousands of
others who have been trained in
AEC-sponsored schools. at uni
versities. in industrial laboratories,
in hospitals, and by employment
In activities related to atomic en-
ergy. ..s
Substantial quantities of fssion-
able material-the explosive and
the fuel of the atomic age-have
been produced and stored. This
material has been produced for
use in atomic weapons, but if it
is never used that way-and I
hope that it will never have to
bet can be put to work produc-
ing power and isotopes for the
good of mankind.
Research work to date continues
to turn up possible uses for atomic
energy not thought of before. Cur
rent research, for example, sug-
gests that certain very radioactive
materials may be useful in the
cold sterilization of drugs and pos
sibly foods. Other work suggests
that the minute atomic particles
known as neutrons may be useful
in destroying brain tumorS. Still
other current research colds out
the hope that man, through
atomic energy, may learn the Sc
cret of the mysterious proc
ess by which nature produces food
and fuel from sunlight, air and
water.
Development Has Been Fast.
All this is progress made in the
short span Of 10 years. When one
stops to consider the state Of de-
velopment a decade after elec-
tricity was first harnessed, or the
airplane invented. or petroleum.
discovered, one cannot help but
marvel at the rapid development
In atomic energy.
But this progress has not come
easily-or cheaply. 1t has re-
quired the mobilization of many
talents. many skills. and many,
many dollars. To date the Amer
lean taxpayer has invested about
$l2 billion in the atomic energy
program.
Most of these dollars have been
forthcoming for just one reason
the immense value Of atomic en-
ergy to the national security
World War II and the fervent
desire of the United States to pre-
vent World War III has produced
the dollars-and the impetus
that atomic energy development
has been given in the past decade.
Today atomic energy is a Gov
ernment monopoly. Virtually
everything that is done in the nu-
clear field is done either at the
order of or with the permission Of
the Government, and the Govern
ment owns all of the principal
installations comprising more
acreage than the States of Rhode
Island and Delaware combined.
The atomic energy enterprise is
a Government monopoly for the
same reason that it is big-be-
cause of its value to the national
security National security Is the
Governments business. and ma
tional security is the paramount
objective of the atomic energy
program.
Energy Has Great Potential.
The agency which supervises the
atomic energy program for the
Government is the Atomic Energy
Commission. It has been in ex-
istence since 1947. when it took
over the Army's Manhattan En-
gineer District. which developed
the first atomic bomb and built
Oak Ridge, Hanford and Los
AlamoS
We on the commission have
civilians. 1t was set up this way
because the Congress knew that
atomic energy is more than lust
another weapon" and because
atomic energy has an immense po-
tential for peaceful as well as