Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-30
Eisenhower Signs
MEASURE yerhaulinq
Atomic Energy Law

President Eisenhower today
signed the new atomic energy
legislation and declared it will
speed the time when the atom
will be wholly devoted" to
peaceful purposes.
The bill, which ignited one of
the hottest congressional fights
Of the year. overhauls the 1916
Atomic Energy Act. One of the
changes permits the Govern
ment, under certain security
safeguards. to give nuclear in
formation to Americas allies.
The new legislation also, for
the first time, opens the door
for development of a private
atomic power industry within
the United States.
Statement by President.
Gen. Eisenhower, in a state
ment, said:
Because of great progress in
the field Of atomic energy during
the past eight years, 7 recon-
mended early this year that the
Congress moderize the Atomic
Energy Act of 1916, the basic law
governing our vast atomic enter
prise. This new legislation was
enacted by the Congress in pur-
Suance Of that recommendation.
1.-THE new act permits us, under
proper security safeguards, to
give our allies certain informa-
ton that they must have for an
effective defense against agrees
sion. This information includes
data needed for training in the
use of and defense against atomic
weapons and for evaluating the
atomic capabilities of potential
aggreSsor. Agreements of this
type with our allies will greatly
strengthen our common defense
and security.
This act also sets UP proce-
dures to encourage certain ex-
changes of non-military atomic
technology. Thus it recognizes
the excellence of the atomic en-
ergy programs in certain other
nations. and the groundwork is
laid for wider participation in the
peacetime applications of atomic
energy. For example, under the
act our technicians can assist
friendly nations or groups of ma
tons in building reactors for re-
search and power.
International Atom Plant.
"Also reflected in the new law
is the fervent desire of our people
to proceed with a plan for an in
ternational atomic energy agency
which would advance the peace
time applications Of atomic
energy, as we proposed last De-
cember to the United Nations. Al
though progress on this plan has
been impeded by Soviet obstruc-
ton and delay, we intend to pro-
ceed-with the cooperation and
participation of the Soviet Union
if possible, without if necessary.
THAT it is time to draw more
specifically into the national
atomic energy program the ini-
tiative and resources of private
industry is recognized in the new
law. For instance. private in
dustry is enabled to participate
more fully in the development
of economic nuclear power, while
the Government continues to as
sist this progress with basic re-
search and the building of ex-
perimental reactors.
Debate on this legislation re-
vealed some misunderstanding
about the effect of certain of
its provisions on public and pri-
vate development of electrical
power from the atom. want
our people to know that these
provisions are designed eventu-
ally to relieve the taxpayer of
the enormous cost of the COM
mercial aspects of the enter
prise, while fully protecting the
public interest in atomic energy.
In fact. these provisions carry
into effect the 1916 policy
declaration of the original
Atomic Energy Act, that free
competition in private enterprise
should be strengthened.
"As I sign this bill. am con-
f1dent that it will advance both
public and private development
of atomic energy-that it will
thus lead to greater national
strength-and that programs
undertaken as result of this
new law will help us progress