Evening star., 1954-11-07
Dixon-Yutes
Continued From First Page
any action toward waving the
lay-over period"

ally dCGIOIl IOWdTQ waving GIle
lay-over period"
Kept in Dark, He Says.
Mr.. Murray also told the COM
mittee that he had not been
informed about the preliminary
negotiations for the Dixon-Yates
contract. which he has refused
to approve.
Admiral Strauss heatedly
challenged Mr.. Murray's claim
he had been kept in the dark
"for months" about conferences
the commission was having with
the Budget Bureau and private
interests. The conferences con-
cerned power to be delivered to
the Tennessee Valley Authority
in the Memphis area to COM
pensate IVA for power fur
nished to atomic installations,
principally those at Paducah,
KY.
The Dixon-Yates group. oper-
ating as the Mississippi Valley
Generating Co., is proposing to
furnish this power from a SLOT
million steam plant to be con-
structed, at West Memphis, Ark.
The proposed contract between
the company and the Acc has
been attacked as being exces-
sively liberal to the company.
The administration, pleading
that work on the West Memphis
plant should be started at once
so it can be in operation by 1857,
has asked the committee to per-
NIT the. contract to be effective
without delay instead of lying
before the next Congress for 30
days as would be necessary in
the absence of a waiver.
In addition to the signed con-
tract, the atomic committee also
served notice that it wanted a
memorandum of agreement that
would spell out certain points
of the contract about which
there might be later dispute.
The Dixon-Yates deal has
been bitterly fought in the Ten
nessee Valley Authority area
where public power advocates
view it as a threat. However,
Maj. Gen. K. D. Nichols, general
manager Of the Atomic Commits
sion. said at the hearing yester-
day afternoon that he had a let
ter from Brig. Gen. Herbert D.
Vogel. newly appointed chair
man, saying that the iva was
ready to go ahead with the nee
esSary arrangements.
Vogel to Be Called.
Gen. Vogel was named in mid
summer by President Eisenhower
to succeed iva Chairman Cor
don Clapp. an outstanding foe
OF Dixon Yates.
Committee Chairman Cole said
that Gen. Vogel would be called
as a witness Monday along with
Frank H. Weitzel, acting control
Ter general. and some other Gov
ernment Witnesses.
The chairman said that he
hoped to start with nom Govern
ment witnesses about Tuesday
and he said that probably two or
three days would be devoted to
these. They are coming from the
Tennessee Valley area. he said,
and presumably oppose the con-
troversial project.
Questioned on Instructions.
During the long grilling yes
terday of Admiral Strauss and
Gen. Nichols. Representative
Holifield, Democrat, OF Califor-
MIA. referred to the fact that
President Eisenhower had in
Structed the Atomic Commission
to negotiate the contract and
asked the chairman if he did
not think he had "abdicated
your independence" as a men,
Der of an independent commits
sion in putting the contract
through. Admiral Strauss said
he did not.
Mr.. Holifield then wanted to
know that as an independent
commissioner it is your judg-
ment that the President has the
power to instruct you or the
other commissioners to perform
acts that are a matter of .ad-
ministrative decision z"
II don't feel competent to dis
cuss the power of the President.
but ] can discuss my own" Ad-
miral Strauss responded. i
don't consider I've been asked
to do anything incompatible
with my duties" "
| Mr.. Murray was called to the