Evening star., 1953-07-30
Atomic Energy Now
Biggest Industry,
Report Indicates
By Thomos R. Henry


ica's biggest industry.
At mid-point in 1853. total
of about 81 billion of the Gov
ernment's money was invested in
plants and acknowledgements
mately equal to the total plant
and equipment value of United
State Steel Corp. A total of $3.5
billion extra has been authorized
for new construction.
The total amount spent since
the start Of the Manhattan Dis
trict. which produced the first
atomic bomb in 1945, is esti-
mated roughly at $12 billion-of
which about So billion has gone
for wages, materials, power and
other necessary expenses Of the
program. Much has been spent
in supporting basic scientific in
VeStigations in college and foun-
dation laboratories which prom
Use eventually to pay large divi-
dendS.
Report Issued Today.
This accounting is given in the
serniannual report of the Atomic
Energy Commission issued today.
During the latter half of this
year and next year, the commits
sion estimates, about $3.50 million
q month will be spent for con-
struction, or about S per cent of
the total building expenditures
for all purposes in the United
States.
Nearly all the work is done
under contract by private cor
porationS. In order that there
shall be a fair distribution of the
enormous amounts involved, the
commission has adopted a plan
to award a fair number of con-
tracts to small business concerns.
Thus in the past two years these
have been given contracts valued
at $36 million or more than 2
per cent of the total expenditures
Of $1.6 billion.
Breeder ReactOr Significant.
BY far the most significant
advance during the year, the
report says, is the successful
breeding of nuclear fuel at the
commissions Arco, Idaho, lab
oratory. That is, starting with
relatively cheap natural uranium
somewhat enriched with the fis-
sionable isotope U-235, it was
found that simultaneously with
power production a considerable
amount Of plutonium was also
made by transmutation.
The significance of this still
is not entirely clear. Unless
plutonium could be produced in
considerable amounts, it long has
been recognized, atomic energy
also would be so costly that it
would have a very limited indus
trial use. The Arco success was
the crossing Of one major hurdle.
Laboratory analyses now COM
pleted show that the amount of
plutonium produced was at least
equal. and may have slightly
exceeded, the amount of the ex-
tremely costly U-235 consumed.
How much further the process
can be carried still is unknown.
Atomic U-BOats Possible.
Theoretically, if it is found
there is no limit, all the uran-
FUN and thorium, a closely re-
lated and more abundant element
on earth, can be used as atomic
energy fuel.
The feasibility Of the two
atomic submarine engines of
which the prototypes have been
completed has been entirely
demonstrated, the report says,
and specially selected naval Of
flcers and men are being trained
in their operation. They will
constitute the crews of the new
subs.
Work now is being conducted
on a submarine power plant
which will permit considerably
higher speeds.
While maintaining strict Sc
eurity standards in hiring per-
sonnel, the report announces, the
commission has abandoned the
much criticized use of a lie de-
tector on prospective employees
at its Oak Ridge, Tenn, labora-
tories. Operation of the appara-
tus was expensive, it was found,
and only a slight, at the best,
increase in security was at
tanned. 1t was felt that this was
more than Offset by the resent
ment of prospective employees at
being subjected to this test, with
the subsequent loss in morale.