Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-20
In Line With the Realities


amend the Atomic Energy Act Of 1946 President
Eisenhower has effectively shown how "the nu-
clear realities of 1854 neceSsitate the relaxation
of number Of present restrictions in order to
strengthen "the defense and economy of the
United States and of the free world"
The realities, as outlined by the President
revolve around the central fact that since 1916
when it was popularity assumed that our coun-
try could maintain its AweaponS monopoly for
an appreciate transformations of normal
scientific development have been compressed
into less than decade" AS result we have
equipped ourselves with a wide variety of nu-
clear ornaments and we have learned how to
produce the hydrogen bomb In addition atomic
power for industrial and other peaceful uses
prospect that seemed very remote not long ago
is now clearly in sight" as goal that the
Nation can reach "Soon." However, within this
same short period of extraordinary military and
n-mlitary progress our initial monopolistic
position has been broken not merely by our
British allies but particularly and most signif-
icantly by the Russians.
Accordingly, faced with this biggest nuclear
reality of ALL faced with the fact that the Soviet
Union has demonstrated it's ability to manu-
facture A-weapons and the H-bomb in quantity,
the United States has worked out "new-look"
lettering aggression by placing primary reliance
on a capacity to strike back against any attack.
massively and instantly, with atomic hydrogen
retaliatory power-bears directly on our inter-
allied security arrangements, chiefly the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization. But our present
law-as enacted in 1916, in the days of our
"monopoly'-rigidly debarS the Nation from
revealing to its key allies restricted data" vital
to NATO's operations and preparedness. In
other words, the main protective enterprise of
our free Western world is denied the knowledge
1t needs to make the most of its great potential
"a glaring deficiency that amply ustiies the
Presidents request to Congress for amendments
authorizing him to exchange, with appropriate
safeguards, such tactical information as is
essential to the development of defense plans
and to the training of personnel for atomic
warfare"
AS for easing the laws domestic restrictions,
the President has been equally persuasive in
emphasizing, among other matters. that the
participation Of private enterprise-on much
more extensive scale than now-is required for
the most effective exploitation of the rich pos
sibilitieS inherent in military nuclear power.
AS he has put it, this is an undertaking in which
the initiative and competitive spirit of indvid-
uals and groups within our free economy are
needed to assure the greatest efficiency and
progress at the least cost to the public" And to
promote such efficiency and progress he has
recommended a series of flexible amendments
designed to make the atomic field attractive
to ever-increasing numbers of businessmen
amendments that would create special profit
incentives covering such things as patent rights,
investment, ownership operational work or
leasing arrangements involving fashionable ma
terial and reactors
OF course as the President himself has OBJ
served, any liberalization of the present law
either as regards our allies abroad or private
enterprise at home-wll have some risks in it,
But they are risks that must be weighed against
the net good to be achieved by taking them As
to that, with the full backing of the Atomic
Energy Commission and the Defense Depart
ment, he has convincingly argued that his pro-
posals will well serve the security and economic
well-being of the entire free world, including
principally our own country. Congress should
act accordingly