Evening star., 1954-11-07
Acc Ordered to Sign Contract
With Dixon-Ya Tomorrow;
Vital Work Stalled, Murray Says
Asserts Dispute
Diverts Members
From Grove asks
By Joseph A. Fox


The Dixon Yates power con-
troversy took a new turn yes
terday when the Congressional
Joint Committee on Atomic
Energy directed the Atomic
Energy Commission to have the
contract with the utility group
signed by tomorrow morning.
This move came after some
members questioned the COM
mittee's authority to continue
hearings on the proposed agree
ment before it is actually
executed.
Admiral Lewis L. Strauss.
chairman of the Atomic Com
mission, said he would call the
members together early tomor-
row to get their signatures.
Edgar H. Dixon, president Of
Middle South Utilities, which is
associated with the Southern Co.
in the power deal, said II believe
we are" when asked II his or
SANITATION was ready to sign.
Even after it is signed, the
contract will not go into effect
until 1t receives final approval.
Murray Protests.
Yesterdays hearing ended on
an explosive note when Atomic
Energy Commissioner Thomas E.
Murray. the last Truman ap-
pointee remaining on the COM
mission, protested that the
Dixon-Yates matter was keep
ing Acc officials from their
"grave primary responsibilities"
Mr.. Murray told the COM
mittee:
II can assure you that the
time spent on this highly con-
troversial and political matter is
increasing neither our weapons
know how nor our weapons pro-
duction, at a time when this is
OF the utmost importance.
''No one will ever be able to
estimate the degree to which top
level commission attention has
been diverted from it's grave
primary responsibilities by an
issue only distantly related
thereto"
He urged that the Dixon-Yates
issue be resolved soon so top
Acc management will get back
to its vital tasks" s ". 81 Z.
In his testimony. Mr. Murray
recalled that Admiral Strauss
has defended the proposal as
being "in the public interest"
"Not In Public Interest"
"To me-" Mr.. Murray said,
anything that diverts the Ato-
mic Energy Commission and it's
staff from the immediate devel-
opment and production of weap-
ons, along with the gigantic task
of bringing into being peacetime
applications Of atomic energy
and particularly atomic indus
trial power :. is not in the pub
lie interest"
The commissioner said equally
unfortunate is the fact that the
Acc has been needlessly involved
in an issue political in nature,
with the result that the nom
political character and position
which it previously enjoyed have
been seriously impaired"
His statement led legislators
to express two different views as
to what should be done.
Committee Chairman Cole said
the statement is lone of the most
positive reasons I have heard"
for the committee to waive a
requirement that the contract
must lie before the new Congress
for 30 days before it can take
effect.
He said the Acc and commit
tee officials have been beset,
and be-damned" ever since the
Dixon-Yates proposal was first
advanced. 1.-THE atomic program
has been damaged" he said, I'D
like to see the question settled
clearly, precisely and soon"
Representative Holified, DEM
ocrat, of California. said he
thought the Murray statement
sis enough for us to postpone
(See DTyON-YATES Page At !