The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-02-17
IKE ASKS AUTHORITY
FOR SECRET SHARING

WASHINGTON N - Presidep,
Eisenhower asked Congress toda,
for authority 10 share limited In
formation on battlefield use d
atomic weapons with friendly ma
Wons.
In q special message, the Presi
Dent also asked for the right q
share peacetime atomic power pro
duetion information with this coun
try's allies and to give American
private industry q greater share
m the development Of nucleal
power.
Eisenhower said these step.
would have the effect Of Strength
ening the defense and the economy
of the United States and Of the
free world"
The President said the onward
rush Of atomic developments has
out.moded the 1916 Atomic Energy
Act which mistakenly assumed the
United States could maintain q
monopoly In atomic weapons for
IN appreciate time.
Counterbalancing the loss Of
monopoly, he said, Is the develop
ment of a wide variety of atomic
weapons which have ACHIEVED
conventional status" In the armed
forces.
He added:
"The thermometer weapons
hydrogen bombl - non-existeni
eight years ago-today dwarfs in
destructive power all atomic weap.
ons. The practicability Of construct
Ing a submarine with atomic pro-
pulsion was questionable in 1916;
three weeks ago the launching oil
the U.S.S. Nautilus made 1t GER
tain that the use Of atomic energy
for ship propulsion viii ultimately
become widespread.
'sIn 1916, too, economic indus.
trial power from atomic energy
sources seemed very remote: to.
day, 1t is clearly in sight-largely
a matter Of further research and
development, and the establishment
Of conditions In which the spirit oil
enterprise can flourish"
The President proposed a num-
Der Of amendments to the Atomic
Energy Act.
He said with emphasis, however,
that changes should make it clear
that the authority granted must be
exercised only In accordance with
conditions prescribed by the Presi
dent to protect the common de
Tense and security" And hs
stressed that no secrets are to BIZ
given away which would be Of
military advantage to potential
enemies.
Under present law, the Presiden
said, this country cannot give it
allies practical information essen
tial to their effective participation
with us in combined military op
erations and planning, and to thei
own defense against atomic
attack"
"our own security viii increase,
he said, "as our allies gain in
formation concerning the use O
and the defense against atomi
weapons.
"Some of our allies, in fact, ar
now producing fashionable materi
ais or weapons, supporting effeC
tive atomic energy research an,
developing peace time uses 70
atomic power.
"But all of them should becom
better informed In the problems o
atomic warfare and, therefore
better prepared to meet the cor
tingency Of such warfare. In orde
for the free world to be an effeC
tive defense unit, 1t must be gear
to the atomic facts of this era.
Eisenhower then made thes
two specific recommendations:
l. The exchange with America
allies Of "such tactical information
as is essential to the development
of defense plans and to the train
ing OF personnel for atomic wal
fare"
2. Modification Of security linn
tations set up in 1851 to allow in
formation on peace time uses q
atomic power to be adjusted
present conditions
This kind of cooperation, tn
President said, requires exchang
Of certain restricted data on tn
industrial applications of atomi
energy and also the release of fiji
sionable materials sin amount
adequate for industrial and n
search use."
This country, Eisenhower SAID
must have assurances such mater
al viii not be. used for militar
purposes by the countries gettin
Il.
Sharing certain informatio
with other nations involves risk
that must be weighed in each in
stance, against the net advantage
81 the United States" the Pres
dent said.
Asserting the commercial use G
atomic energy for power "can 500
be a reality" the President sal
a number of private firms alread
are studying various reactor type